Chick-fil-A Opening In Lakewood - Press Telegram

LAKEWOOD – Chick-fil-A is opening its first restaurant in Lakewood on Thursday, and the operators are bringing free food with them – a year’s orders to the first 100 adults, age 18 and older with identification, in line ahead of opening day.

The Lakewood location debuts more than seven years after the first stand-alone restaurant opened in California.

Since then, the chain has opened 36 new restaurants across the state and plans to open as many as 40 new restaurants in California in the next 18 months.

“Chick-fil-A may have grown to be the second-largest chicken restaurant chain in the country, but our ideals today are no different than those Truett Cathy exemplified when he started Chick-fil-A 43 years ago,” said Robert Hensen, a Chick-fil-A operator in Cerritos since 2007, who will also serve as the franchised operator of the Lakewood restaurant. “We want our customers to enjoy our freshly prepared food in the same friendly neighborhood environment he created.”

Cathy developed the original Chick-fil-A boneless breast of chicken sandwich in his 24-hour Dwarf House diner near Atlanta in the early 1960s. He opened his first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall in 1967. Since then, the chain has grown to more than 1,553 locations in 39 states and Washington, D.C. In 2010, Chick-fil-A, Inc. posted more than $3.58 billion in systemwide sales, marking its 43rd consecutive year of sales growth.

According to chain officials, the restaurant continues to expand despite the country’s economic challenges. In 2010 Chick-fil-A opened 80 stand-alone and in-line restaurants, which created more than 4,500 new jobs.

“We are thrilled to continue expanding and responding to the requests of our loyal customers to bring Chick-fil-A closer to where they live,” said Dan T. Cathy, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A Inc.

The chain anticipates creating another 5,000 new jobs in 2011. The Lakewood location brings 55 jobs as Chick-fil-A continues to grow in California.

“As we grow in established markets, we are grateful for our outstanding franchised operators and their team members who provide the freshly prepared food and excellent service on both sides of the counter. Their efforts keep our customers coming back again and again,” Cathy said.

The First 100 celebration will begin with a 24-hour camp-out in the restaurant parking lot that includes music, contests, games, entertainment and plenty of Chick-fil-A.

Since the event began in 2003, Chick-fil-A has given away more than $13 million in free food at its restaurant grand openings.

The line opens at 6 a.m. today, with the free meal cards being awarded Thursday between 6 and 6:10 a.m. The restaurant will open for business immediately after.

According to organizers, if there are more than 100 people by 6 a.m. today all 100 spots will be determined by a raffle. Go to www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/First-100 for rules.

The restaurant, located at 4895 Candlewood St., will be open 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m.

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