Indiana
Chick-fil-A expansion brings play spaces for kids. Where they will be
Florida officers find 5-year-old on solo breakfast adventure at Chick-fil-A
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There are good times to be had with upcoming Chick-fil-A store openings in Indiana, especially for kiddos.
A half-dozen new restaurants, like the one under construction in Beech Grove, will be offering inside play spaces, in addition to its sandwiches, waffle fries and lemonade, to draw families.
“We’re super excited. It’s like the newest version of the play place,” said Kevin Brown, owner-operator of the Beech Grove store. “At Chick-fil-A, we are super committed to families. It’s in our DNA. So we are building our new restaurants with kind of the latest and greatest kids’ play place.”
Featuring a slide, oversized graphics and places for the coat and shoes of youngsters, the glassed-in two-level play space at Brown’s restaurant will be among the largest of Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Indianapolis area.
“It’s kind of like that analog fun. You’re not going to find screens in there. You’re going to find kind of good old-fashioned just climbing and sliding; that sort of thing,” said Brown, a former U.S. military officer who is relocating from the downtown Indianapolis store at 10 E. Washington.
He’s targeting March for the opening of the free-standing unit with a two-lane drive-through operation.
“The high school’s already reached out. They’re so excited, just like we are. They’re like, ‘Hey, how do we how do we create stronger bonds between the school and Chick-fil-A. Kids love Chick-fil-A, and we love kids; so the natural thing,” Brown said.
More Chick-Fil-A locations coming to Indiana
The Beech Grove store is among six locally-owned Chick-fil-A restaurants launching in Indiana in 2026, each with play areas unique to the locations.
A Kokomo store opened on Feb. 19. The Beech Grove store is targeting a March opening; a Franklin store is expected to open in the spring; and locations are planned for Bloomington, Plainfield and south Indianapolis later this year.
Chick-fil-A is exploring new prototype formats to better serve specific communities, with each restaurant designed to reflect its local neighborhood, the College Park, Georgia-based company said.
The play spaces in select restaurants are part of a commitment to creating family-friendly environments where customers can spend meaningful time together, in addition to dining, it said.
“For many families across the region, Chick-fil-A is more than a place to grab a meal. As we continue to expand across Indiana, we are focused on creating restaurants that feel welcoming and intentionally designed for families,” Mandy Brantley, senior area director for the Midwest region, said in a written statement. “Including play spaces in each of our new metro Indianapolis restaurants reflects our commitment to investing in spaces where children can engage, families can connect and communities can build meaningful memories together.”
New owner-operator Meg Puello, mom to nine-year old Nolan and seven-year–old Ana Kate, is familiar with the concept, on a couple of levels.
Puello worked for Greenwood Chick-fil-A locations operated by her father before training to own her own store in Franklin. She’s anticipating a late March or early April opening.
“At Chick-fil-A, they’re always striving to figure out what families and what the communities are needing. So I’m really thankful to have a playground and to be able to have a place that kids can come and play,” she said. “There are lot of neighborhoods around us. There are a lot of families. And I personally took my children to Chick-fil-A playgrounds on more occasions than I can count.”
“They love being able to spend time whenever we have the chance at our Chick-fil-A.”
Where is Chick-fil-A opening in Indiana in 2026?
The Indianapolis area currently has about 28 Chick-fil-A restaurants.
With each new restaurant, the company donates $25,000 to the Feeding America hunger relief organization for local efforts.
The additional six stores will add up to 600 new full- and part-time jobs.
Indiana stores opening in 2026 include:
- Kokomo: 1014 S. Reed Rd., opened February 2026
- Beech Grove: 5151 E. Thompson Rd., projected opening March
- Franklin: 2430 N Morton, projected opening late mrch/early April
- Bloomington: address and target date for opening to be announced
- Plainfield: address and target date for opening to be announced
- Indianapolis: address and target date for opening to be announced
Contact reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cjackson@usatodayco.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson or Bluesky:@cherylvjackson.bsky.social.
INDIANAPOLIS — Hoosiers looking to celebrate the Fourth of July may have to wait as severe weather is expected to blow in.
Around 7:20 p.m., Fourth Fest attendees in downtown Indianapolis were told to seek shelter due to storms in the area.
The fireworks show has been delayed and is now expected to start at 10:30 p.m. The full show can be viewed on FOX59 NOW.
Numerous central Indiana counties were under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch or Warning earlier Saturday evening.
CarmelFest has announced that its fireworks will continue as scheduled at 9:45 p.m.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
As many are celebrating America’s 250th birthday, a threat of severe weather looms, as watches and warnings have been issued for most Illinois and northwest Indiana counties for Saturday.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Kane and Kendall counties in Illinois until 3:45 p.m.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Grundy, Kendall, and Will counties in Illinois and for Porter, Newton, Jasper, and Lake counties in Indiana until 7 p.m.
A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for Central Cook, De Kalb, DuPage, Eastern Will, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Northern Cook, Northern Will, Southern Cook, and Southern Will in Illinois and Lake in Indiana until 10 p.m.
A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for De Kalb, La Salle, and Lee counties in Illinois until 5 p.m.
Storm Prediction Center has areas along and south of I-80 at a Level 1 (out of 5) for severe chances. Strong-to-severe storms are expected around 2 p.m. and sunset. Frequent lightning, damaging winds and torrential downpours may accompany the strongest storms.
Be sure to stick with CBS News Chicago and the First Alert Weather team for the latest.
TODAY
Mostly sunny and very warm to start, then the storm chance rises later in the day. Highs reach the upper 80s to near 90, with a light southwest breeze. A Heat Advisory remains in effect through 9 p.m. Saturday, and the better chance for showers and thunderstorms develops after mid afternoon, with any stronger storm capable of heavy downpours, hail, and damaging wind gusts.
TONIGHT
Showers and thunderstorms remain likely early in the evening, then coverage gradually trends lower later at night. Lows fall into the low 70s, with light wind. It does not look like nonstop rain, but evening outdoor plans, including fireworks, will need a weather eye.
TOMORROW
Partly sunny, warm, and still somewhat unsettled, with storms becoming more likely as the day goes on. Highs reach the mid 80s, with light wind. Much of the first half of the day looks more usable, but the second half becomes less reliable as showers and thunderstorms become more common.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Showers and thunderstorms remain likely early, then fade back later in the evening and overnight. Lows settle near 70. It should turn quieter with time, and the air will feel a little less oppressive than the previous few nights.
MONDAY
Partly sunny and still hot, but not quite as extreme as the holiday weekend. Highs reach the mid 80s, with a more humid feel and at least a low-end thunderstorm chance around. This looks more manageable than Saturday, but not completely quiet from start to finish.
MONDAY NIGHT
Partly cloudy and seasonably mild, with lows in the mid 60s. Any leftover storm chance looks limited, and quieter weather should win out for most of the night.
TUESDAY
Clouds and sun mix with a stray thunderstorm chance, and highs recover into the mid 80s. Heat is still around, but not as punishing as the late-week surge, and much of the day still looks usable.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Partly cloudy and muggy again, with lows in the upper 60s. Quiet weather generally holds overnight, even if a completely dry forecast is not guaranteed.
WEDNESDAY
Mostly cloudy and humid with a thunderstorm possible in spots during the afternoon. Highs reach the mid 80s. This keeps the pattern a little unsettled, though it still does not look like an all-day rain setup.
7 DAY FORECAST
The main concerns are the late-day storm chance on the Fourth and then a hot, humid stretch that continues into next week. Saturday and Sunday both carry storm chances, with the Fourth looking more active later in the day and Sunday staying somewhat unsettled. After that, temperatures settle into the 80s with occasional storm chances lingering into midweek, so the pattern stays summerlike even though the worst of the heat eases back a bit.
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