Chick-Fil-A will replace former Sweet Tomatoes location in Pembroke Pines

The City Of Pembroke Pines planning and zoning board approved on the project at 15901 Pines Blvd. with a 4 to 1 vote during the last zoning board meeting on Aug. 11.

Sarenee Properties submitted plans to demolish the current building, left vacant when the soup and salad buffet style restaurant closed its doors at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Approval for the project was put on hold during a meeting in June, as a company representative said a plan was being created to manage traffic in the area.

According to the plan submitted to the zoning board, there will not be direct access to the fast food restaurant on Pines Blvd. Access to the site will remain inside Westfork Plaza at the northwest corner of the property.

Once construction is complete, the restaurant will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday.

According to the Chick-Fil-A operator model, the new restaurant will bring at least 60-80 employees to the area. At least 40 percent of sales are returned to the state and local community each year.

The new business will be another site opening up in the busy West Pembroke Pines area.

The recent demolition of a U.S. Postal Office Distribution Center along the intersection of Pines Blvd. and Dykes Road, also gave way to the construction of a new shopping area late last year, 16000 Pines Market. Several restaurants have already started welcoming patrons and a new Publix and gym are still under construction.