FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Brenda Morrow
Chick-fil-A, Inc.
brenda.morrow@chick-fil-a.com
404.765.8064
Cindi Pickett
CP Communications Inc.
cindipickett@cpcommunicationsinc.com
678.714.0340 / 404.375.7882 (cell)
Downtown Austin’s First Drive-Thru Chick-fil-A Restaurant Opening June 6;
First 100 in Line at New Restaurant to Win Free Year’s Supply of Chick-fil-A Meals
New Restaurant on Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard Creating Nearly 75 New Jobs
AUSTIN, Texas (June 6, 2013) – Austin’s first downtown drive-thru Chick-fil-A® restaurant will open June 6 -- bringing nearly 75 new
jobs and the chance for 100 adults to win free Chick-fil-A meals for a year as the chain reaches the 10th anniversary of its signature grand
opening celebration.
Chick-fil-A’s “First 100” event, which began as a way to celebrate the first stand-alone Chick-fil-A in Arizona in 2003, immediately
became the cornerstone of every Chick-fil-A grand opening when the first person arrived more than 18 hours the day before, wondering where
to get in line. Others soon followed and by the time the restaurant opened for business the next day, more than 100 were waiting.
Humbled and surprised by the dedication of its fans, Chick-fil-A quickly implemented the “First 100” at every grand opening and in
the past 10 years 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 102 grand openings this year.
The new Austin restaurant, located near the University of Texas - Austin at 503 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., will be the scene of the
latest Chick-fil-A grand opening celebration. The first 100 adults, ages 18 and older with identification, in line when the doors open about 6 a.m.
on Thursday, June 6, 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 $30,000 in free food. The line officially opens at 6 a.m.,
Wednesday, June 5, with the free meal cards being awarded Thursday, June 6, about 6 a.m. The restaurant will open for business immediately
thereafter. If there are more than 100 people by 6 a.m. on Wednesday, June 5, all 100 spots will be determined by a raffle held that morning
with those selected needing to camp out to secure their spot. 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.
Consumer habits have changed dramatically since 1967 when S. Truett Cathy opened his first Chick-fil-A restaurant inside Atlanta’s
Greenbriar Mall. While that tiny location pioneered the mall food court concept, the majority of the chain’s new restaurants today cater not only
to customers who want to dine inside but also to those who prefer the convenience of drive-thru service.
The Austin Chick-fil-A location, which brings the total in the state to 272, becomes the ninth restaurant in the metro area that includes
seven stand-alone, one mall and now one drive-thru location, in addition to two licensee restaurants. The first Chick-fil-A in the state opened
nearly 43 years ago in August 1970 in Corpus Christi’s La Palmera Mall.
Austin’s drive-thru Chick-fil-A restaurant, featuring patio-covered seating, is on the site of the former Mr. Gatti’s location which was a
popular hangout for area residents. The drive-thru features the chain’s latest kitchen design along with dual drive-thru ordering lanes. It will
feature a state-of-the-art conveyor system where the meal will be bagged in the main building and then clipped to the Easy Serve conveyor that
sends it across to the outside drive-thru lane’s own kiosk building. The kiosk building enables restaurant team members to process transactions
as well as beverages, Ice Dream® and milkshake orders. With a majority of customers at Chick-fil-A stand-alone restaurants choosing drive-thru,
the ability for two drivers to simultaneously order should mean quicker service.
The restaurant will be open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m. The
campus meal card “Bevo Bucks” will also be accepted at the location. As part of the chain’s ongoing commitment to offer fresh, delicious and
nutritious options, the restaurant’s menu will feature last month’s roll-out of the chain’s new line of premium salads that are handcrafted onsite
using top-quality ingredients and include Cobb, Asian and Grilled Market Salads and a Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap.
Having started working with Chick-fil-A in high school in 1994 and then named a franchised Operator in 2008, Cliff Green is
transferring from the stand-alone Chick-fil-A location at Edmond Crossing in Oklahoma to return to Austin to run the new restaurant. No stranger
to the area, Green ran Austin’s Lakeline Mall Chick-fil-A location from 2008 to 2010. All three of his children were born in Austin and the family is
moving back just in time for his fourth to be born in August. His wife Amy is anxious to reconnect with the students and residents near the
campus from where she graduated as well. Green attended Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas where he graduated in social work.
“Our focus on freshly prepared food and personal customer service is as central to our new restaurant as it was the day Truett opened
his first Chick-fil-A location,” said Green, who shares a strong passion with his wife for the university and students. “That commitment continues for
me and my team members at Austin’s first downtown drive-thru Chick-fil-A location where it is our vision to surprise and delight every guest by
being remarkable. We can’t wait to welcome and serve our guests who have long awaited this opening which will offer a convenient way for getting
their Chick-fil-A.”
This year Chick-fil-A will open more restaurants than ever before. The new Chick-fil-A on is one of 102 new restaurants the chain plans
to open across the country in 2013, creating more than 6,200 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.
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 1,720 restaurants in 38 states and Washington D.C.
Chick-fil-A continues to win industry accolades including research firm Technomic’s 2012 Customer Restaurant Brand study which
analyzed 52 restaurants. The firm polled 38,000 consumers in the categories they said mattered most – food, cleanliness, service, value, beverage
and atmosphere. Chick-fil-A was the only chain to rank in the top five of all six key categories.
Men’s Health “Eat This, Not That” 2013 edition again gave the chain high marks (A-) and named it one of the top two restaurants
providing healthier menu options. Chick-fil-A continues to rank high in QSR Magazine’s annual Drive-Thru Performance Study which in 2011 was
narrowed to only measure the six best, consistent brands. These “benchmark” brands, joined by one rotating regional chain, are measured in
categories ranging from speed of service and order accuracy to customer service and cleanliness. In the 2012 study, which included more than
2,000 visits to restaurants around the country, Chick-fil-A was number one in order accuracy and had the friendliest service. The study also
found Chick-fil-A team members displayed a “pleasant demeanor” 94 percent of the time, a full 14 percentage points above the next highestrated restaurant chain.
For more information on the new Austin Chick-fil-A restaurant, visit www.chick-fil-a.com/universityoftexasdto,
Facebook.com/UTChickfilA, instagram.com/UTexasChickfilA or follow it on twitter.com/UTexasChickfilA.
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 more than 1,720
restaurants in 38 states and Washington, D.C.Founded by S. Truett Cathy in 1967, Chick-fil-A produced sales of $4.6 billion in 2012. Chick-filA 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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