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Two More Stand-Alone Chick-fil-A Restaurants Opening Nov. 7 as Chain Continues Expansion

MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 7, 2013) – Less than a month after Chick-fil-A kicked off its Minnesota expansion with the arrival of its first two stand-alone locations, two more restaurants will open Nov. 7 in Bloomington and Apple Valley, creating an additional 180 new jobs and bringing the chain’s award-winning menu and service to a wider area of the market.

The Apple Valley restaurant at 7480 153rd St., W., and the Bloomington restaurant at 2500 W. 79th St. will be the sites of Chick-fil-A’s next grand opening celebrations that will include supporting the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program and stuffing 100 school backpacks for needy children in the metro area.

 The toy drive will be held at the two new restaurants on Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with donators being given a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A sandwich to thank them for their toy donation. The First 100 campers also will have a chance to participate in the Toys for Tots drive by reaching out to friends, family and associates to donate toys in the camper’s name. The top collector at each restaurant will be recognized.

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Just as it did at the Maple Grove and Coon Rapids openings in October where nearly 50 people were waiting to camp out at each location 24 hours before the opening, Chick-fil-A will celebrate the new Apple Valley and Bloomington locations by giving away free Chick-fil-A for a year to the first 100 adults in line at each restaurant when doors open grand opening morning.

                Similar to the passionate response of customers over Minnesota’s first two Chick-fil-A stand-alone restaurants where campers grew to more than 100 the evening before the opening, when Chick-fil-A started its signature “First 100” event 10 years ago at the opening of Arizona’s first stand-alone location they were surprised by the dedication of its fans who started lining up 18 hours prior to the opening. Chick-fil-A quickly implemented the “First 100” at every grand opening and has given away more than $18 million in free food at almost 700 grand openings. An additional $2.5 million is slated to be given away at 91 grand openings this year, including $120,000 in the metro Minneapolis-St. Paul area alone.

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The first 100 adults, ages 18 and older with identification, in line when the doors open at each restaurant about 6 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, each will win a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A® Meals (52 coupons with each consisting of a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, medium Waffle Potato Fries™ and a medium drink) – a total of nearly $60,000 in free food being awarded between the two openings. The restaurants will open for business immediately afterwards.

Participants can officially start lining up at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at each location. If there are more than 100 people at that time at either location, all 100 spots will be determined by a drawing held Wednesday morning with those selected needing to camp out to secure their spot for the next 24 hours. For complete rules, see Chick-fil-A First 100 Promotion.


For 10 years, Chick-fil-A has hosted the parking lot parties, providing security, entertainment and, of course, plenty of Chick-fil-A to its dedicated fans who often arrive more than 24 hours in advance prepared with TVs, computers, tents, games and other gear to make their stay more comfortable. Over the past decade, the First 100 celebrations have been the backdrop for family reunions, girls’ nights out, birthday celebrations, college study parties and several marriage proposals as people come from around the corner or across the country to be part of the festivities.

Opening within a month of each other, the four Minnesota openings are part of Chick-fil-A‘s expansion in the state that will bring upwards of 10 locations in the next three to five years. Most of those locations are targeted within the Twin Cities area with long-term growth expanding as far north as Duluth, west to St. Cloud and south to Rochester. The chain currently operates three licensed locations on the campuses of the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State University-Mankato, and at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The stand-alone locations feature the chain’s latest kitchen design along with dual drive-thru ordering lanes to expand its award-winning drive-thru service. Two drive-thru lanes with separate menu boards will welcome motorists who will place their orders at the separate screens and then merge into a single lane to pay for and pick up their food.

The interiors are finished with warm colors and wood accents, and offer the convenience of free Wi-Fi. The Apple Valley restaurant has indoor seating for about 110 while the Bloomington location can seat about 130 inside. Both locations feature additional outdoor seating and will be open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m. All Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays.

Henry Cho has been selected as the franchised Operator of the Chick-fil-A restaurant at Apple Valley after leaving a career in law enforcement to pursue the Chick-fil-A opportunity. Cho’s father owned the first Korean restaurant in Minnesota and Cho grew up in the hospitality business making his decision to join Chick-fil-A a return to his family roots. He and his wife, Jennifer, who is also in law enforcement, have two children and are excited to be part of the chain’s expansion in their hometown.

Reid Dorsett becomes the franchised Operator of the Bloomington Chick-fil-A restaurant after working for the chain for more than five years, most recently as an interim manager. Prior to joining Chick-fil-A, Dorsett worked in real estate after graduating from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. He and his wife, Jamie, have two children and look forward to serving the Bloomington community.

This year Chick-fil-A will open more restaurants than ever before with the Minneapolis locations becoming four out of 114 new restaurants the chain plans to open across the country in 2013, creating more than 6,600 new jobs. Chick-fil-A continued to grow in 2012, increasing the number of new restaurants initially planned for the year and reporting record-setting annual sales of more than $4.6 billion, the 45th consecutive year of sales growth since the company began in 1967.

Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy first began serving his boneless breast-of-chicken sandwich, pressured cooked and served on a buttered bun with two crucial pickles, at the Dwarf Grill which opened in Hapeville, Ga., in 1946. It was the signature menu item when the first Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in 1967 and though many other items have joined the menu over the years, it remains the centerpiece of the menu as the chain has grown to 1,768 restaurants in 39 states and Washington, D.C.

For more information on the Apple Valley Chick-fil-A restaurant visit www.chick-fil-a.com/applevalley or Facebook at Chick-fil-A of Apple Valley; and for the Bloomington Chick-fil-A restaurant visit www.cfarestaurant.com/bloomington or on Facebook at Chick-fil-A of Bloomington MN.

 

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately-held restaurant company dedicated to serving the communities in which its restaurants operate. Credited with inventing the chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves nutritious, freshly prepared food in 1,768 restaurants in 39 states and Washington, D.C. Founded by S. Truett Cathy in 1967, Chick-fil-A produced sales of $4.6 billion in 2012. Chick-fil-A was recognized in 2012 as one of America’s “Most Inspiring Companies” by Forbes Magazine and “Most Popular Large Chain” by Zagat Survey®, among other honors. More information on Chick-fil-A is available on the chain’s website, located at www.chick-fil-a.com
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