With the daily lines of vehicles that build up at the drive-thru at Chick-fil-A Plant City, one can only wonder if the restaurant’s team knew the kind of reception it would receive.
The restaurant chain opened its first location in Plant City on Thursday, Dec. 2. In a statement from the business, it said that “Chick-fil-A is constantly evaluating potential new locations for expansion and we’ve had our eyes on Plant City for a while. The community represents a tremendous opportunity for us to serve our customers great food with exceptional care.”
The family-owned business was established in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy and is based in Atlanta. The franchise is known for its trademark chicken products.
It’s also known for its iconic billboards off highways – depicting model cows painting catchy phrases.
It has over 2,600 restaurants spread throughout 47 states as well as Washington D.C. and Canada.
And now the eatery has made its mark in Plant City.
It’s located at 1101 Goldfinch Dr., off Thonotosassa Road, and in close proximity to Interstate-4 – making it a convenient spot.
It’s also a newly-built structure built where a Plant City staple restaurant – Buddy Freddy’s – stood.
The building spans 4,777 square feet and outside has a multi-lane drive thru.
Along with indoor dining, it will offer curbside pickup when ordering on the Chick-fil-A website or through its phone app.
Orders can also be delivered through Grubhub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash.
What’s more, the local establishment has provided 160 job opportunities for the community.
Dawn Redmon is the new owner and operator of Chick-fil-A Plant City. With a staff working together for the best service, she has already heard positive feedback from the public.
“We’ve received an outpouring of support from the community and for that, we’re extremely grateful,” said Redmon. “I’m thrilled to serve Plant City [with] our great-tasting food, with our signature hospitality.”
Tommy Warnock is a frequent patron at the new eatery and takes advantage of the service when he can.
His favorite order is the chicken tortilla soup and the 12-piece grilled chicken nuggets.
“We’ve got a great attitude and appreciation for Chick-fil-A wherever they may be,” he said.
Chick-fil-A has pledged free service for a year to 100 local heroes from Plant City High School, Tomlin Middle School, the Plant City Police Department and South Florida Baptist Hospital.
However, its charity work doesn’t end there.
It will donate $25,000 to Feeding America, which will distribute the proceeds toward partners who combat hunger.
“This partnership allows us to give back to the direct communities of our restaurants, which is important to us, especially as we enter communities for the first time,” said Redmon.
Over the years it has received numerous accolades for its service.
With its recognized business model, Chick-fil-A may very well become the new hub for food service in Plant City.