The Chick-fil-A in Kingstowne will be opening Thursday morning, the restaurant has announced.
The pandemic delayed construction on the new restaurant, but it will open with drive-thru service and indoor and outdoor seating. The chicken chain takes the place of Fiona's Irish Pub, which closed abruptly in June 2019 after running into financial difficulties.
The restaurant is near the intersection of South Van Dorn and Kingstowne Boulevard, at 5808 Kingstowne Center. Hours will be 6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Chick-fil-A was founded in 1967 in Georgia by Truett Cathy, a local restauranteur. He "made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia. Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours, Truett saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest and worship if they choose - a practice we uphold today," according to the company.
Today, Chick-fil-A has locations in 47 states and opens approximately one new restaurant every week. During the pandemic, the restaurant replaced its First 100 giveaway, which often drew crowds at grand openings, with a program to that gives free Chick-fil-A meals for a year to 100 people who are making an impact in the restaurant's local communities. More info will be available at the restaurant's opening Thursday.
Chick-fil-A is also known for its cow-based advertising campaign, which started in 1995 on billboards and featured a black and white cow encouraging consumers to "Eat Mor Chikin."
