Ulta, Chick-fil-A due within a year in Bend

Driving along Highway 97 on Bend’s north side, you can now see the shell of what will be Ulta, a beauty store. It’ll be the first Ulta in Central Oregon — the only other ones in the state are in the Willamette Valley.

Also coming to a retail complex to be known as Robal Road Village are Chick-fil-A and Cracker Barrel.

There were lots of tourists downtown Tuesday, many of whom are from the South, where those two restaurants are abundant.

“Chick-fil-A is kind of like — it’s the best chicken I’ve ever had, coming from the Midwest,” one tourist said. “We’re always looking for good chicken.”

“The (Chick-fil-A) lemonade is really sweet, and they make it homemade,” a visiting Georgian said.

“Cracker Barrel is a good one for the family if you’re looking for a good breakfast spot,” the Midwestern tourist said. “Very homey, and they have some good gifts there. It’s just a one-stop shop for some good food and just a good morning.”

Ulta is scheduled to be completed by December of this year, along with the parking lot and sidewalks.

It’s estimated Chick-fil-A will open next April and Cracker Barrel in June of next year.

Chick fil-A has submitted a design review application to the city and hopes to break ground in a few months. Cracker Barrel has not yet put in that application.

Some Bendites aren’t too keen on the prospect of these two restaurants coming to town.

“I kind of lean more toward healthier foods,” one Bend resident said. “So I’m not really a big approver of Cracker Barrel and Chick-fil-A moving into town.”

“There are enough chains already, and the strong support for local businesses and small businesses should stay strong,” another Bendite said. “Good food, local food. Not food from far away.”

Others who declined to go on camera said they welcome the future additions.

To accommodate the new mall, the Oregon Department of Transportation is putting in a new crosswalk at Robal Road and Highway 97 and will tweak the signals at the intersection to keep the traffic moving. It’s removing the split phasing at the intersection, which will result in all the cars on one side going forward and turning at the same time, instead of waiting for the opposite side to clear.