Big Boy Ran 41 Years on Hartland's M-59. Chick-fil-A Is Cleared to Replace It.

By Carrie Thompson, Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent, eXp Realty, Grand Blanc, MI

The Hartland Township Board of Trustees has given final approval to Chick-fil-A's plan to tear down the former Big Boy restaurant on M-59, east of U.S. 23, and build a new drive-thru restaurant on the site, which is set to be Livingston County's first Chick-fil-A (WHMI, February 25, 2026). The Big Boy operated there for 41 years before closing in 2023 (WHMI, August 22, 2025).

The first site was across the road

Chick-fil-A first proposed building at the former Burger King on M-59 just east of U.S. 23 (WHMI, April 7, 2025). That Burger King had been closed since 2020 (WXYZ, April 23, 2025). Before the public hearing, MDOT and the Livingston County Road Commission had approved closing the existing M-59 entrance at that site and directing customers to Blaine Road instead (WHMI, April 7, 2025).

The Planning Commission unanimously approved the initial site plan on April 10, 2025 (WXYZ, April 23, 2025). The Township Board then voted 6-1 to approve the preliminary site plan despite resident concerns about traffic (WHMI, April 23, 2025). WXYZ reported that residents of Blaine Road raised safety and congestion worries about the M-59 and Blaine Road intersection, that a Change.org petition asked for a delay, and that MDOT and the road commission decided another traffic study was not needed (WXYZ, April 23, 2025).

"You have my word that I will bring it up if that traffic continues to be bad," Trustee Joe Petrucci said at that meeting. Township Supervisor Bill Fountain said, "We all live here and we all deal with the roads. There's nothing to hide" (WHMI, April 23, 2025).

Justin Lurk, Chick-fil-A's senior principal development leader, told the board, "This will be our first location in Livingston County. It will not be our last." He said the company was negotiating a deal down M-59 in White Lake and looking at sites in Fenton, Brighton, and New Hudson (WHMI, April 23, 2025).

The chain switched to the Big Boy building in August 2025

By late August 2025, after the opposition to the Burger King plan, Chick-fil-A had shifted to the vacant Big Boy building on the north side of M-59 (WHMI, August 22, 2025). Residents at the August 28 Planning Commission meeting still raised traffic concerns, including about southbound Old U.S. 23 where customers exit the CVS and Kroger (WHMI, August 29, 2025).

In December 2025 the Planning Commission approved the preliminary plan for the Big Boy site. A Chick-fil-A representative said, "Our goal with this site was to use as much as the infrastructure as possible. Obviously, the building would not be reused, but the majority of the parking lot we're going to keep as is." The Livingston County Road Commission made no recommendations, since the plan used existing traffic patterns (WHMI, December 19, 2025).

Three driveways, one of them entrance only

According to Planning Director Troy Langer, the site has three access points: an entrance-only drive from Hartland Road, an M-59 drive limited to right turns in and right turns out, and a two-way connection to the private road Rovey (WHMI, February 13, 2026).

The Planning Commission approved the Final Planned Development Site Plan in February 2026 and sent it to the Township Board (WHMI, February 13, 2026). When the board approved it, Township Manager Mike Luce said, "this is really the final documents. We're not reviewing a site plan" (WHMI, February 25, 2026). No opening date has been announced in the reports cited here.

Chick-fil-A is one of several new businesses at the interchange

In September 2025, trustees amended the final Planned Development Site Plan to let Sheetz build a fuel station and convenience store on the former Walgreens site at M-59 and Old U.S. 23 (WHMI, September 3, 2025). That Walgreens closed in 2022 (WHMI, August 22, 2025). Langer said MDOT and the county road commission had approved the access points, and that Sheetz's traffic engineer had proposed changes to the signals at M-59 and Old 23 that MDOT had not yet approved (WHMI, September 3, 2025).

In April 2026, the Planning Commission unanimously approved a 2,385-square-foot Chipotle Mexican Grill with a pick-up window, between Buffalo Wild Wings and Panda Express in Hartland Towne Square on the north side of M-59 east of U.S. 23. Langer said that project needed only Planning Commission site plan approval (WHMI, April 24, 2026).

Trustees also approved a preliminary site plan for an Urban Air Adventure Park in July 2025 (WHMI, July 16, 2025) and its entryway signage near Old U.S. 23 in August 2025 (WHMI, August 6, 2025).

What buyers and sellers near M-59 and U.S. 23 should check

If you are buying in Hartland and will use the M-59 and U.S. 23 interchange daily, drive it at the times you would commute, and look at the approved access points for the new businesses so you know where turns will be limited. Sellers near the corridor can point buyers to the township's posted site plans so they see exactly what is coming instead of guessing.

Every listing I take gets professional photos and video, room sizes, targeted digital ads, and targeted buyer avatars. Call or text Carrie Thompson at (810) 893-3269.

About Carrie Thompson

Carrie Thompson, "Your Favorite Property Girl," is a Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent (REALTOR®) with eXp Realty serving Grand Blanc, Genesee County and nearby Michigan communities, including Hartland, Tyrone Township, Fenton, Milford, Holly, and Linden. Michigan license 6501338662. Call or text (810) 893-3269.