SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Tis the season to wait in line as the first 100 customers at the Dec. 18 opening of San Antonio's newest Chick-fil-A(R) restaurant at 5615 W. 1604 Loop N. (at Alamo Ranch Marketplace) will be awarded with $26,000 in free Chick-fil-A food being given away that morning.
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A one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A(R) Meals (52 coupons) will be awarded to each of the first 100 adults, age 18 and older with identification, at the new stand-alone restaurant. The line can begin forming up to 24 hours prior to the opening, with the prizes being given away on Dec. 18 sometime between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. The restaurant will open afterward.
The First 100 Fans promotion was launched in 2003 to mark the opening of the chain's first stand-alone restaurant in Arizona. Five years later, the event continues to draw Chick-fil-A raving fans from all over the country. Armed with tents, computers, games and even swimming pools, campers turn the grand opening event into an all-night tailgate party.
"When we started the First 100 Fans promotion we were stunned when someone arrived 18 hours in advance and asked where he could wait in line," said Chick-fil-A, Inc. President Dan Cathy, who has camped out at dozens of openings. "Five years later, we've given away more than $8.5 million in free Chick-fil-A food across the country to raving fans who've braved snow, wind, rain and triple-digit temperatures to help us celebrate the opening of each new Chick-fil-A."
Greg Patterson, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 26 years, has been selected to operate the new San Antonio Chick-fil-A. Patterson and his wife, Debbie, are eager to bring the new Chick-fil-A to the San Antonio community.
"Since its first chain restaurant opened more than 40 years ago, Chick-fil-A has become synonymous with freshly prepared food and 'my pleasure' customer service," said Patterson.. "My team and I are eager to continue that legacy at the new Chick-fil-A location."
The Chick-fil-A at Alamo Ranch Marketplace features a 134-seat interior that seats 20 outside and has warm colors and wood accents as well as an indoor play area for children that includes an interactive section for toddlers. The new restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m.
Chick-fil-A recently announced it has eliminated artificial trans fat from its entire menu and is among the first national quick-service restaurant chains to offer a complete menu - from entrees down to condiments - with zero grams of trans fat.
The menu at the new restaurant also will include several enhancements rolled out chain wide in May. These include a new Chick-fil-A(R) Chargrilled and Fruit Salad with Harvest Nut Granola topping, Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips(R) that are 50 percent larger than the previous offerings and are complemented by a new proprietary dipping sauce called Chick-fil-A Sauce(TM), Chick-fil-A(R) Chicken Salad Sandwich served on a new premium wheatberry bread with green leaf lettuce, and Cool Wraps selections come in a new multi-grain flatbread.
A convenient way for Chick-fil-A customers to get their freshly prepared food on the go at the new restaurant is an award-winning drive-thru. In October, Chick-fil-A was named Best Drive-Thru in America by QSR magazine after a three-month industry study of 25 quick-service restaurant chains in all 50 states. This is the fifth time Chick-fil-A has topped the annual industry survey which measures order accuracy, speed of service, menu board appearance and speaker clarity.
Chick-fil-A, which had the busiest drive-thru with an average service time of just under three minutes per a vehicle, topped the competition in the category consumers reported caring about most - order accuracy - with the chain receiving a 97 percent accuracy score. Helping Chick-fil-A get those orders correct was its speaker clarity which the study found to be best in the quick-service industry.
About Chick-fil-A Inc.
Truett Cathy developed the original Chick-fil-A boneless breast of chicken sandwich in his 24-hour Dwarf House(R) diner near Atlanta in the early 1960s, opening his first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall in 1967. The chain has grown to more than 1,422 locations in 37 states and Washington, D.C. Chick-fil-A, Inc. reached more than $2.64 billion in sales in 2007, resulting in a 16.09 percent increase over the chain's 2006 performance and included an 8.47 percent same-store sales increase. It is the 40th consecutive year of sales growth for the chain which plans to add 88 locations this year, including 70 stand-alone restaurants. Information about Chick-fil-A is available on the chain's websites, located at http://www.chick-fil-a.com.
CONTACT: Brenda Green of Chick-fil-A, Inc., +1-404-765-8064,
for Chick-fil-A Inc., +1-770-789-8973,
Web site: http://www.chick-fil-a.com/