For the next two months, students will have to find new ways of getting their fix of chicken sandwiches and waffle fries.

Chick-fil-A Boone temporarily closed starting on March 31 at 10 p.m. 

They announced the closure on their Facebook page March 29, sharing that the restaurant will get a remodel after 17 years of continuous business.

The page stated the process will take 6 to 8 weeks if all goes as planned.

Many students love Chick-fil-A and were sad to hear of its temporary closing.

“I’m pretty upset because it’s one of the fastest fast food restaurants and they have pretty good food health-wise,” said Kate Smith, a junior. “They have a bunch of options compared to all the other fast food restaurants in Boone.”

Chick-fil-A is normally open until 10 p.m., which Smith said she likes because it is one of the few options she has for food when she gets off work at 9 p.m.

Because Chick-fil-A is a popular fast food chain in many people’s hometowns, Smith said the Chick-fil-A in Boone can help provide a sense of comfort to students and give App State students from different places something to bond over.

Junior Nathan Paciorek wrote in an email that he feels mostly fine about Chick-fil-A’s decision, adding that the fast food chain consistently has good service and food.

“(The renovation) gives Chick-fil-A a chance to improve their business further,” Paciorek said.

After ordering Chick-fil-A on March 31 and hearing about the closure later that day, App State alum Jack Sanders joked with his friends about selling their leftover food. 

Sanders posted a picture of his cup of Dr. Pepper on Facebook group page App State Classifieds, writing, “Gently used Dr. Pepper from Chick-fil-A. Still about one-third full,” and started the “bidding” at $10. His post garnered almost 600 reactions and over 100 comments.

“I’m personally not very upset at all that they’re closed for renovations; I’m more of a Zaxby’s guy myself,” Sanders said. “But I do know that there’s lots of people here in town who are devastated that they won’t be able to get their chicken minis in the morning for the time being.”

Junior Sally Matal is one of those students who goes to Chick-fil-A for breakfast almost every day to get her daily chicken minis and iced coffee, and is already ready to get her “breakfast routine back.”

“It will be nice for them to have a modern update, but I also think it would have been smarter to wait and do this in the summer when the student population for the most part is gone,” Matal said in an email.

The two nearest Chick-fil-As to Boone are located in Wilkesboro and Lenoir. The chain is also open on campus. 

Wilkesboro store owner Mark Eller thinks his store might get more business due to the Boone Chick-fil-A’s temporary closure.

Eller said his store gets customers from Boone that “travel through here regularly,” and will likely see even more Boone guests as a result.

“I think it’ll give people time to support other businesses or small businesses,” Smith said. “Hopefully it’ll give people a chance to go out and find other places to go other than Chick-fil-A.”

The Appalachian reached out to Boone Chick-fil-A before publication, but did not hear back.