Old Fast Food Restaurant in NJ Being Demolished for New Fast Food Restaurant

• A longtime fast-food spot in Hammonton is being torn down
• The building sat empty for over a year after suddenly closing
• Now, a new and very popular chain is set to take its place

An old, old-school fast food restaurant in South Jersey is being demolished to make way for something new and exciting.

A new fast-food restaurant.

Kinda makes you wonder why they have to knock down a rectangular building with a drive-thru just so they can build a new rectangular building with a drive-thru. I mean, can't you just remodel the place? Regardless of what you build, the kitchen is in the back and the people are in the front? Anyway...

Wendy’s in Hammonton Abruptly Closed

It was back in January 2024 when Wendy's on the White Horse Pike in Hammonton abruptly closed its doors after many years of serving burgers, fries, and Frostys. According to the sign on the window, they lost their lease on the building.

• READ MORE: Collingswood Diner in NJ to Close After Over 40 Years

A Look Back at the Former Wendy’s

This was one of those older-looking Wendy's — you know, the style before they all recently became plain, dark grey boxes. Now, this one didn't have one of those classic 80s-era sunrooms (it didn't exist in that era), but this one had some character, including a really cool "Greetings from Hammonton" mural on one side.

This is what it looked like inside right after it closed...

...and we invite you to check out our full walk-around of the property. And, yeah, an empty fast-food place is rather eerie and creepy.

Demolition and New Development Begin

Not much happened there over the past year and a half until the past couple of weeks, when a big chain link fence went up around the property.

Turns out, the blueberry capital of the world is getting a Chipotle on that site, according to 42freeway.com.

We visited the old Wendy's this past weekend and things there appear to be ready to roll...

• READ MORE: Love Old-school Diners? These 10 in NJ are the Real Deal

There's no official word on when Chipotle here might open, but when it does, it'll be the newest addition to a strip of fast-food and fast-casual restaurants. Burger King, Applebee's, and Taco Bell will all be neighbors, along with the Silver Coin Diner right across the street.

South Jersey already has over a dozen Chipotle locations, stretching from Voorhees and Bellmawr, down through Cumberland County, and towards the shore in Somers Point and Absecon.