By Lauren Young
Staff Writer
The time has finally come: the first Chick-fil-A in Upstate New York will open its doors at 6:30 a.m. this Thursday, Feb. 22, at 7916 Brewerton Road. The grand opening is expected to be a busy one, with customers coming to the long-awaited store from around the state.
The 5,000-square-foot Cicero location will create over 100 new jobs in the area, and is the first of four Chick-fil-A restaurants slated to open in the region this year. The first Rochester-area location will open in Greece in April, another in Cheektowaga and one in Plattsburgh scheduled for the end of the year.
“We know the area has been waiting a long time for Chick-fil-A and we can’t wait to open the doors,” said franchise owner Jimmer Szatkowski in a Tuesday press release. “Upstate New York is our home and my team and I look forward to providing a remarkable experience to our friends and neighbors.”
The new restaurant’s design is called the traditional heritage style, and is ornamented with handmade, authentic materials for a vintage-inspired interior, including a light fixture made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles — an homage to Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, who sold Coke bottles as a child.
The location will also feature a two-story interactive indoor play area for children, free Wi-Fi, designated parking spaces for pickup orders and dual drive-thru lanes. The dining room includes seating for 112 with additional outdoor patio seating for 24.
The Chick-fil-A kitchen in Cicero is their “most modern design” to date, and was “built to handle the volume,” said Szatkowski. “You won’t find any kitchens across the Chick-fil-A chain this big,” he said. Compared to some other chain restaurants, “everything is fresh daily,” said Szatkowski, including their famous lemonade and biscuits.
“Everyone who has had our lemonade knows how good it is,” said Kourtney Willette, who works at a popular Chick-fil-A location in Tustin, Calif. Chick-fil-A’s lemonade is freshly-squeezed every day, and is made with only three ingredients: Sunkist lemons, sugar and water. Their diet version is substituted with Splenda.
When it comes to menu favorites, Szatkowski said he is personally a fan of the spicy chicken sandwich, an item he recommends to spicy food lovers. He added that the grilled chicken is another popular and healthy option, and the grilled egg white is a great choice for breakfast.
As a pre-grand opening celebration, the new Cicero restaurant opened at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22, for a special Road Trip event to serve the first 100 customers who arrived. The service-focused trip awarded participants with a digital offer card loaded with a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A meals.
The First 100 Road Trip took participants around the Cicero area on a chartered bus, spending approximately seven hours engaging in service opportunities that “mirror Szatkowski’s commitment to having a positive impact on the community,” stated a press release.
There will additionally be an opportunity for all Chick-fil-A customers to participate in a children’s book drive benefiting Roxboro Road Elementary School during the grand opening week. New and gently-used books will be collected and all donated books will be placed in a nearly three-foot tall Book House, made from reclaimed wood and donated by the Chick-Fil-A Foundation.
Since 2014, the chain has collected more than 57,000 books and donated them to 325 local organizations in 45 states and Washington, D.C.
When the new Chick-Fil-A opens at 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning, it is expected to bring with it a heavier-than-normal amount of traffic to the area, and Cicero Police are prepared, the department said. Police officials said they encourage all southbound drivers on Brewerton Road, who are not stopping at the restaurant, to stay in the right lane, and all northbound drivers are encouraged to stay in the left lane. Officers are expected to be doing traffic control during the opening, and signs will be posted to direct drivers.
The restaurant will have trainers present to help with expected long lines on opening weekend, and workers will be outside taking orders and handing out menus if the drive-thru backs up.
“Enjoy the experience,” said Szatkowski for customers who plan to visit on opening day, adding that he encourages customers “to take advantage of the technology,” referring to the free Chick-fil-A One app that gives customers a chance to order ahead of the line and pick up their food at the location.
The store will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday.
The Cicero location is among the 140 new Chick-fil-A locations expected to open this year across the nation, creating nearly 13,000 new jobs, according to company information.
