The Crestwood Board of Aldermen unanimously approved an ordinance granting a conditional use permit to Gateway Custard LLC to operate a drive-thru Andy’s Frozen Custard at 9535 Watson Road.

The drive-thru will be located in an outbuilding of the Crestwood Crossing shopping center. There will be no interior seating but the restaurant will include an exterior walk-up order window in addition to the drive-thru window.

“About half of their business is through the drive-thru and half is through the patio over the course of the year. They are open all year round. They do not close during the wintertime. They also do not have a speaker in their drive-thru. I know some people are concerned about speakers and that noise that comes with a drive-thru. They have a menu board and then they take orders at the window. When cars begin to back up, they send runners out to take orders in advance,” said Joe Carey, project manager and principal at Archimages – and the architect on the project – at the board’s Sept. 10 meeting.

Construction of a drive-thru-ready facility in this location was approved during the preliminary and final development plan approvals for phase one of the Crestwood Crossing Planned Development-Mixed Use District in 2021 and 2022, respectively. However, a drive- thru restaurant remains a conditional use in this district. 

After a short presentation, Ward 3 Alderman Grant Mabie inquired about the planned opening date, to which Carey responded “In the spring.”

As there were no further questions, the board then voted, unanimously approving the ordinance by a vote of 8-0.