By Sara Beth Williams–
A vacant parking lot along Sunrise Boulevard could see the addition of another eatery with a drive thru.
Patterson Properties is proposing the demolition of the former Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery building in Citrus Heights to make room for a new quick-service restaurant with a drive-thru. The city confirmed Wednesday that other site improvements, such as lighting and landscaping, are also planned.
A project description submitted to the city on Jan. 17 states that the proposed project involves the demo of a 9,000-square-foot existing property and the construction of a 5,000-square-foot quick-service building with two drive-thru lanes that will wrap around the side and back of the restaurant before condensing into a single lane around the final turn. The drive-thru layout will allow for up to 27 vehicles to queue at one time. A Conditional Use Permit will be required for the drive-thru.
The project description letter also states that once a tenant is identified, a new Design Review Permit will be processed with specific building specifications.
The property under consideration for demolition is located at 5525 Sunrise Blvd. and shares a parking lot with the former Boston’s Pizza and Sports Bar, with a main entrance on Birdcage Street. Pebble Beach Drive serves as another entrance point and separates the proposed drive-thru from the neighboring Hibachi Buffet restaurant.
A site map for the project shows a drive-thru with two lanes wrapping around the main quick-service restaurant building, along with a proposed front patio featuring multiple round tables. The site plan also calls for the addition of 58 regular parking spaces, three ADA-compliant parking spaces, and 13 electric-vehicle-capable parking spaces.
“We feel the proposed use for this site is ideal because of the location. It is located right off the busy Sunrise Blvd. with easy access and visibility,” the applicant wrote to the city, adding that the project will provide a use that is both “beneficial” and a “welcomed addition” for the Citrus Heights community.
The name of the proposed quick-service restaurant is not being released at this time, Sunrise MarketPlace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter said Wednesday. The project is under review, and a hearing date has yet to be scheduled, the city said.
Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery closed its doors in August 2019, following the same fate as a nearby Denny’s restaurant, which abruptly closed on Sunrise Boulevard in 2017.
According to news reports, the restaurant’s parent company, Perkins & Marie Callender’s LLC, shuttered 19 under-performing Marie Callender’s locations, along with 10 Perkins restaurants, a diner chain with most locations in the Midwest and East Coast.
Boston’s Pizza and Sports Bar also closed abruptly in December 2023. The building’s new owners recently announced plans to open a Korean BBQ restaurant in its place.
Patterson Properties is a real estate company with multiple branches and focuses on commercial and residential real estate investment, development, and property management with a presence in the greater Sacramento region and beyond, according to the company’s website.
A vacant parking lot along Sunrise Boulevard could soon see the addition of another eatery with a drive thru...
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