Business & Tech

CT's First Chick-fil-A Set to Open in Brookfield in September

First 100 customers get free food for a year.

A Brookfield native is opening up the first Chick-fil-A in Connecticut this fall, bringing the fast-food chain’s award-winning chicken and some 60 new jobs to the area.

Devon Scanlon, who grew up in Brookfield, was joined by community leaders at the restaurant site at 140 Federal Road Tuesday morning to kick off the official countdown to the grand opening, set for September.

Chick-fil-A will celebrate the grand opening of the new Brookfield restaurant by giving away a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A meals (a digital offer card loaded with 52 free Chick-fil-A meals) to the first 100 adults in line on opening day.

The “First 100” celebration draws Chick-fil-A’s most loyal fans who arrive up to 24 hours in advance with tents, TVs, computers, gaming systems and other gear to pass the time while camping out overnight.

Since the event began in October 2003, Chick-fil-A has given away almost $21 million in free food. Visit their website for more information.

The new Brookfield stand-alone Chick-fil-A restaurant is the first of four Connecticut locations slated to open within the next 6 months. It will be followed by restaurants in Wallingford, Danbury, and Enfield.

The Brookfield location will offer interior seating for 109 with additional patio dining. The restaurant includes dual drive-thru ordering lanes. Customers will be able to stay connected through the restaurant’s free Wi-Fi and parents will appreciate the indoor play area that includes an interactive section for toddlers.

Currently the closest Chick-fil-A restaurant is about 70 miles away inside the Paramus Park Shopping Center in Paramus, N.J., and the closest stand-alone Chick-fil-A restaurant is about 85 miles away in Chicopee, Mass.

A Brookfield High School alumnus, Scanlon earned her bachelor’s degree in sports management from Elon University and her MBA from North Carolina State University. After working in the hospitality industry, Scanlon began exploring Chick-fil-A at the urging of her brother-in-law, who operates a Chick-fil-A in Tennessee. She became convinced the opportunity was a good fit for her, especially when she learned she’d be able to open the first Connecticut Chick-fil-A in Brookfield.

With her parents still residing in Brookfield, Scanlon and her husband, John, and their infant son are thrilled to be opening Connecticut’s first Chick-fil-A restaurant.

“Chick-fil-A provides the ideal opportunity to own my own business and have a positive impact on my hometown,” Scanlon said. “I couldn’t be more excited to bring Chick-fil-A’s freshly prepared food and signature customer service to Connecticut.”

The new Connecticut Chick-fil-A is one of 88 stand-alone, in-line and drive-thru restaurants the chain plans to open nationally this year, creating more than 6,700 new jobs. Chick-fil-A continued to grow in 2013, increasing the number of new restaurants initially planned for the year and reporting record-setting annual sales of more than $5 billion.

Chick-fil-A’s signature chicken sandwich was last week named the tastiest chicken sandwich in Consumer Reports 2014 Fast Food Survey of 32,405 readers, repeating the results of the magazine’s last fast food report in 2011. Respondents, who were asked about their experiences at 65 fast food chains, not only said Chick-fil-A’s chicken sandwich was the best tasting but also rated Chick-fil-A as number one overall out of 65 chains in customer service and cleanliness.

In addition, the chain was a 2013 winner of Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual recognition of “the best the restaurant industry has to offer.” The annual award, given to five industry recipients this year, honors chains who have a proven track record of leadership, operational excellence, market performance, innovation and community involvement.

Chick-fil-A fans can stay up to date on construction and grand opening activities by visiting the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Based off a release from CP Communications.


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