First Columbus Chick-fil-A closes; New Polaris Drive-in opens

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Chick-fil-A drive-thru that marked the chain’s first standalone restaurant in central Ohio has closed while a new location has opened on the nearby site of a bulldozed Mackenzie River.

The chain’s restaurant at 8787 Sancus Boulevard permanently closed Sunday after more than 20 years in business, Chick-fil-A confirmed to NBC4. The Sancus Boulevard location opened in 2003 near Polaris Fashion Place and was the company’s first standalone restaurant in central Ohio.

Chick-fil-A’s original Polaris location will close as a new drive-through opened Tuesday less than a mile away at 1515 Polaris Parkway. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant features a two-lane drive-thru, an updated dining room, a playground and a dedicated mobile pickup counter for guests dining in or on the go.

Mackenzie River, a shuttered restaurant that replaced Max and Erma’s, closed earlier this year and auctioned off its furniture in March before the building was demolished to make way for the new Polaris Chick-fil-A. The restaurant opened in 2016 after Montana-based Glacier Restaurant Group purchased all of Max and Erma’s locations and converted several into Mackenzie River restaurants.

With the closure of the Polaris location, the Mackenzie Rive concept shrank to three restaurants in Ohio, one in Pickerington at 1281 Hill Road N., another near Dayton and the third near Cincinnati.

Waylon Willoughby, the franchisee of the Sancus Boulevard location, also operates the new Polaris Chick-fil-A with 100 employees, half of whom come from the previous location. Willoughby, who began working as a member of the Chick-fil-A team at age 15, will also open a new Westerville Chick-fil-A at 680 Polaris Parkway in 2025.

“In my journey from team member to local owner-operator, it has been very special to experience the growth opportunities for our team members here and how our restaurant can have a positive impact on the community,” Willoughby said. “We are thrilled to reopen our Polaris Parkway restaurant and look forward to serving the community.”

Mackenzie River was one of several Columbus-area restaurants demolished for a new Chick-fil-A, such as Tee Jaye’s Country Place, which closed in 2021 to make way for a Chick-fil-A that opened in April was opened. Construction of this property included preserving the 20th century sign, which has been given a makeover with Chick-fil-A branding.

Worthington’s Buca di Beppo is set to be demolished after the site was purchased by the fast food chain in April, auditor records show. While the restaurant will remain open and a closing date has yet to be announced, the closure of the location will shrink Buca di Beppo to three restaurants in Ohio: one in downtown Columbus, another in Strongsville and a third near Cincinnati.