Outside photo of Chick-fil-A Kitchener

KITCHENER, Ont. (August 3, 2021) – Chick-fil-A® Kitchener, located in the heart of the Kitchener-Waterloo Region, is slated to open for business on Saturday, August 7, 2021. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Olivia Efford as the independent franchised Owner/Operator of this new Chick-fil-A® restaurant. Efford will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing approximately 100 full- and part-time Team Members, cultivating relationships with local organizations and neighbouring businesses, and serving Guests. Chick-fil-A Kitchener is located at 200-225 Fairway Rd. S. and will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Chick-fil-A is committed to serving guests safely and is continually adjusting its operations to help protect its Operators, restaurant Team Members and Guests. Currently, Chick-fil-A Kitchener will open as a drive-thru and carry-out restaurant only. To learn more about Chick-fil-A’s safety protocols, please visit the COVID-19 response page.

In celebration of the opening, Chick-fil-A Kitchener will award 100 local heroes who are making an impact in the community with free Chick-fil-A for a year. Additionally, Chick-fil-A has committed to donating US$25,000 to a local food bank for every new restaurant opening in Canada. To aid in the fight against hunger, this donation will go towards The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. This initiative is in addition to Chick-fil-A’s partnership with Second Harvest to help increase food access for those in need across Canada, while reducing the environmental impacts of food waste.

Locally owned and operated

Efford grew up in the Greater Toronto Area and after a short stint in the U.S., now calls Kitchener home. As a graduate from the University of Guelph with experience working at both of Toronto’s Chick-fil-A restaurant locations, she is uniquely positioned to open the first free-standing Chick-fil-A restaurant in Canada.

“I am excited to come back and introduce the community to the Chick-fil-A brand. I love the atmosphere of Kitchener and the Waterloo Region – the entrepreneurial businesses combined with the university environment. I know what it’s like to work while attending school, which is why I am so passionate about creating professional development and leadership opportunities for my team,” said Efford. “I look forward to serving the local community and creating a caring environment for my Team Members and Guests.”

Drive-thru experience

Chick-fil-A restaurant Team Members will greet customers in the drive-thru line in-person, and will take each Guest’s orders on a tablet. As the order-taker walks the line, another restaurant Team Member will come to the customer’s car to take payment, allowing vehicles to move through twice as fast as they do at a traditional speaker box drive-thru. To ensure restaurant Team Members working in the drive-thru line are comfortable in any weather, Chick-fil-A partnered with clothing brands that design military-spec cooling vests and moisture-wicking uniforms for the summer and thermal options for the winter. Learn more about the drive-thru model here.

Chick-fil-A restaurant Team Member investment

Chick-fil-A franchised Operators strive to hire, develop and retain top talent, while providing a great work environment for people of all ages and backgrounds. They also offer their Team Members opportunities for flexible work hours and leadership growth, competitive pay and benefits, hands-on training and mentoring, and the chance to apply for scholarships to support their continuing education. Like all Chick-fil-A restaurants, the restaurant will close on Sundays to allow Team Members to have a dedicated day off.

Impacting the local community

In addition to the US$25,000 donation to The Food Bank of Waterloo Region from Chick-fil-A, Efford’s restaurant will be participating in Chick-fil-A’s Shared Table program, which helps restaurant owners fight hunger in their local communities. The initiative redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and non-profits in need. Chick-fil-A Kitchener will do its part to reduce food waste in its kitchen with a “cook less, more often” approach. Efficient cooking methods will reduce or eliminate the amount of food that goes unserved, including cooking chicken throughout the day and preparing salads frequently, so that the restaurant serves guests the freshest food possible while also reducing food waste. When there is surplus food, Chick-fil-A Kitchener will donate it to The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.

Quality ingredients delicious food

Chick-fil-A restaurants focus on serving customers great-tasting food made with high-quality ingredients. Chick-fil-A restaurants serve chicken raised without antibiotics, in accordance with stringent Animal Wellbeing Standards. Many items on the menu are hand-prepared daily and produce is delivered fresh up to six times per week.

More about Chick-fil-A food:

  • The famous Original Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich is made with a chicken breast fillet, breaded by hand and served on a toasted bun with pickles.
  • Chick-fil-A® Nuggets are available breaded or grilled and are perfect for pairing with one of seven delicious Chick-fil-A dipping sauces.
  • Spicy Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips® are seasoned with a spicy blend of peppers, hand-breaded and cooked to perfection.
  • Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries® are made from real potatoes.
  • Chick-fil-A salad entrées, including Spicy Southwest, Cobb, and Market, feature freshly prepared and nutritious ingredients that are hand chopped in restaurant daily.
  • Regular Chick-fil-A® Lemonade is made from three simple ingredients: real lemon juice, sugar and water.

Commitment to customer service

With a long-standing tradition in the restaurant industry for setting high standards in customer service, Chick-fil-A earned recognition for providing the "best fast food customer service in America" according to America's Best Customer Service 2020 report by Newsweek, among other honours.

For more information about Chick-fil-A, visit chick-fil-a.ca and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. Devoted to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate and known for its Original Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich, Chick-fil-A restaurants serve freshly prepared food in more than 2,600 restaurants in 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada.

A leader in customer service satisfaction, Chick-fil-A was named top fast food restaurant in Newsweek’s 2019 America’s Best Customer Service report and received several honours in QSR’s 2019 Reader’s Choice Awards, including “The Most Respected Quick-Service Brand” and “Best Brand for Overall Experience”. Additionally, Glassdoor named Chick-fil-A one of the top 100 best places to work in 2020. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.ca.

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Contact
Media Hotline: (800) 404-7196
Email: cfapressroom@chick-fil-a.com