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<p>WILKES-BARRE TWP. &#8212; The new Chick-fil-A coming to Schechter Drive will be a full-service restaurant, complete with a drive-thru.</p><p>Jeff Metz, owner of the property where Lucky&#8217;s Sporthouse now sits, said it was a tremendous opportunity to bring a great brand like Chick-fil-A to the area.</p><p>&#8220;Chick-fil-A is a first-class company and a first-class family,&#8221; Metz said. &#8220;This will be the first free-standing Chick-fil-A in the area.&#8221;</p><p>Lucky&#8217;s will close Sunday following the Super Bowl and an auction of sports memorabilia will raise proceeds for the St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen.</p><p>Metz noted all Lucky&#8217;s employees have either been offered or have accepted positions within the Metz family of companies.</p><p>The Metz company is also seeking a new site for Lucky&#8217;s, a brand Metz said his company believes in.</p><p>Chick-fil-A has submitted architectural drawings for the building, Tom Zedolik, Wilkes-Barre Township zoning officer, said Monday.</p><p>This will be the third Chick-fil-A in the area. There&#8217;s a restaurant in the King&#8217;s on the Square building on Public Square in downtown Wilkes-Barre and a Chick-fil-A Express in the Banks Student Life building on the campus of Misericordia University in Dallas Township. Both opened in 2016.</p><p>Lucky&#8217;s, a franchise owned by the Metz Group, has been in operation for 10 years at the site at 110 Schechter Drive. A sign posted inside last week announced it was closing to make way for &#8220;another exciting restaurant concept.&#8221;</p><p>Metz said all outstanding Lucky&#8217;s gift cards will be honored at TGI Friday&#8217;s. Wolfgang Puck&#8217;s or Ruth&#8217;s Chris Steak House. He thanked all Lucky&#8217;s employees and patrons for their support.</p><p>&#8220;Lucky&#8217;s has been very well-received in this area,&#8221; Metz said. &#8220;This was an opportunity we just couldn&#8217;t pass up.&#8221;</p><p>Metz said his company operates Lucky&#8217;s at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport and the Melbourne International Airport in Florida.</p><p>He said Chick-fil-A has not set a timeline on when it will move into the Lucky&#8217;s site. &#8220;We do have a deal with them and we will be the landlord,&#8221; Metz said.</p><p>Chick-fil-A will not be open Sundays, as per company policy.</p><p>The Sunday policy is explained on its website:</p><p>&#8220;Our founder, Truett Cathy, made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia. Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours, Truett saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest and worship if they choose &#8212; a practice we uphold today.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Metz </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_jeff-metz1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Metz </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL012919Luckys1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Lucky&#8217;s Sporthouse in Wilkes-Barre Township will close its doors Sunday following the Super Bowl. A full-service Chick-fil-A restaurant with a drive-thru will be moving in at a date yet to be determined. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL012919Luckys1-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Lucky&#8217;s Sporthouse in Wilkes-Barre Township will close its doors Sunday following the Super Bowl. A full-service Chick-fil-A restaurant with a drive-thru will be moving in at a date yet to be determined. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

More details released on Chick-fil-A coming to Wilkes-Barre Township