Chick-Fil-A, Panera Bread Proposal To Be Heard In Somers Point

SOMERS POINT, NJ — A proposal for a new plaza in Somers Point that will house a Chick-Fil-A and Panera Bread will likely be heard by the planning board this month.

The application was pulled shortly it was supposed to be heard at the January meeting, as the Ocean City Sentinel reported initially. It's expected to be on the agenda for the Feb. 15 meeting.

Developed by Brahin Properties, the proposed Defeo Plaza will sit on Route 9 directly across from the Somers Point Plaza (home to Acme and Target) and next to Ocean Heights Plaza (home to ShopRite), according to the developer's website. It's proposed for the site of the former McNaughton's Garden Center, which closed in 2024.

Defeo Plaza will consist of about 19,000 square feet of retail space, 9,500 square feet of office/medical space and the Chick-Fil-A and Panera Bread, both of which will have drive-thru capabilities.

It has multiple access points on a busy commercial corridor that sees nearly 40,000 vehicles daily, according to Brahin Properties.

The Somers Point Planning Board meets the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in City Hall.