Ex-steakhouse demolished to make way for Omaha Chick-fil-A
PAIGE YOWELL/THE WORLD-HERALD
A building formerly home to a steakhouse has been demolished to make way for Omaha’s new Chick-Fil-A at the southwest corner of 175th Street and West Center Road.
Workers were on-site Friday and footings were in for the fast food chicken chain’s first standalone Omaha location, which will include a drive-through.
The site was formerly home to another restaurant, Lone Star Steakhouse, which closed in 2012 when the chain closed all of its Nebraska locations. The restaurant and its parking lot were demolished in mid-April by Fager Excavating Co. It was built in 2005 and originally occupied by Colton’s Woodfired Grill.
“Newer buildings, believe it or not, are harder to wreck than old ones,” said Fager Excavating owner Darrell Fager.
That’s because of the newer materials used, such as glue, styrofoam and insulation. The demolition also included removal of the underground grease pits used by the restaurants.
The site of old building will be used for parking, Fager said, while the new restaurant will sit closer to 175th Street.
Fager also demolished a Carlos O’Kelly’s restaurant in Bellevue at Cornhusker Road and Highway 75, which is now home to a Chick-fil-A.
“Chick-fil-A is kind of like Walgreens — if they want that corner, they get it,” Fager said. “I know that they’re very anxious to get it going and probably want to have it up and running by the fall.”
A Chick-fil-A spokeswoman said earlier this year the restaurant is expected to open this fall, and will include a drive-through, playground and an outdoor patio. Chick-fil-A also has locations in Papillion at 8710 S. 71st Plaza and inside the Mutual of Omaha building at 3333 Farnam St. in Omaha.
