MEDIA ADVISORY

A Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony will be held at Chick-fil-A Machesney Park – located at 1505 West Lane Road at the intersection of West Lane Road and North Alpine Road – on Wednesday, December 1 at 3:00 PM.

Note for Media: If you would like to attend the ribbon cutting, please contact the Chick-fil-A Media Hotline at (800) 404-7196 or email cfapressroom@chick-fil-a.com in advance for approval. Because Chick-fil-A anticipates a busy opening, the Operator Erika Wild will not be able to participate in media interviews as she will be focused on providing the best experience for guests in advance of the opening on Thursday, 12/2.

Participants in the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony will include:

Chick-fil-A Machesney Park Owner/Operator Erika Wild
Village of Machesney Park Mayor Steve Johnson

City of Loves Park Mayor Greg Jury
The Parks Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tonya Lamia
2021 Young at Heart Queen Madison Hawn
Officials and senior staff from the Village of Machesney Park and City of Loves Park
Board Members from The Parks Chamber of Commerce

The new Chick-fil-A Machesney Park Restaurant will open to the public on Thursday, December 2 at 6:30 AM, and the restaurant is expected to bring approximately 140 Full- and Part-Time Jobs to the community.

Please see the press release below for additional details.

MACHESNEY PARK, Ill. – A new Chick-fil-A® restaurant is slated to open for business in Machesney Park on Thursday, Dec. 2. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Erika Wild as the independent franchised Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Machesney Park. Wild will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing approximately 140 full- and part-time Team Members, cultivating relationships with local organizations and neighboring businesses, and serving guests. Chick-fil-A Machesney Park is located at 1505 West Lane Road, at the intersection of West Lane Road and North Alpine Road, and will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Chick-fil-A remains committed to serving guests safely. Chick-fil-A Machesney Park will open for dine-in, drive-thru and carry out. Guests can take advantage of contactless ordering and payment through the free Chick-fil-A® App or through online ordering. To learn more about Chick-fil-A’s safety protocols, please visit the COVID-19 response page.

In place of the traditional Chick-fil-A First 100® Grand Opening celebration, Chick-fil-A Machesney Park will be surprising 100 local heroes making an impact in Machesney Park with free Chick-fil-A for a year. Additionally, in honor of the new restaurant opening, Chick-fil-A will donate $25,000 to Feeding America. The funds will be distributed to partners within the greater Rockford area to aid in the fight against hunger.

Locally Owned and Operated

Chick-fil-A Machesney Park local Owner/Operator Erika Wild grew up just 14 minutes away from Machesney Park in Rockford, Ill. Wild has held a wide variety of positions at Chick-fil-A restaurants, starting as a Team Member and eventually becoming the Director of Operations of Chick-fil-A Veterans & College. Her experience of serving guests and the mentorship she received from her Operator inspired Wild to continue her Chick-fil-A journey. After more than seven years of working at Chick-fil-A, she is thrilled to become the Operator of Chick-fil-A Machesney Park in a community that she calls home.

“I am thrilled to bring Chick-fil-A to my hometown and serve my neighbors,” said Wild. “I look forward to giving back to my community and investing in my Team Members to grow as leaders.”

Team Member Investment

Chick-fil-A franchised Operators are committed to hiring, developing and retaining top talent, and providing a positive work environment for people of all ages and backgrounds. They also offer their Team Members opportunities for flexible work hours and leadership growth, competitive pay and benefits, hands-on training and mentoring, and the chance to apply for scholarships to support their continuing education.

Quality Ingredients; Delicious Food

Chick-fil-A focuses on serving customers great-tasting food made with high quality ingredients. The produce used in recipes is delivered to kitchens up to six times a week. Salads are made with whole fruits and vegetables that are chopped and prepared fresh throughout the day. Chick-fil-A Lemonade is made from three simple ingredients: lemon juice, sugar and water.

Breaded chicken is pressure cooked in 100%, fully refined peanut oil and all U.S. Chick-fil-A restaurants now serve chicken raised with No Antibiotics Ever, starting from the egg. By not allowing antibiotics of any kind, Chick-fil-A chicken meets the highest commitment for non-antibiotic use. For more information about the Chick-fil-A No Antibiotics Ever commitment, visit www.chick-fil-a.com/no-antibiotics-ever.

Commitment to Customer Service

With a longstanding tradition in the restaurant industry for setting high standards in customer service, Chick-fil-A earned recognition for providing the "best fast food customer service in America" according to America's Best Customer Service 2020 report by Newsweek, among other honors.

For more information about Chick-fil-A and stories about the Brand’s food, people and customers across the country, visit chick-fil-a.com. For the latest news and updates on Chick-fil-A Machesney Park, visit the Chick-fil-A Machesney Park Facebook page and follow along on Instagram.

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. Devoted to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate, and known for its original chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves freshly prepared food in more than 2,600 restaurants in 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada.

A leader in customer service satisfaction, Chick-fil-A was named top fast food restaurant in Newsweek’s 2019 America’s Best Customer Service report and received several honors in QSR’s 2019 Reader’s Choice Awards, including “The Most Respected Quick-Service Brand” and “Best Brand for Overall Experience”. Additionally, Glassdoor named Chick-fil-A one of the top 100 best places to work in 2020. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com.

FORE MORE INFORMATION

Media Hotline: (800) 404-7196

Email: cfapressroom@chick-fil-a.com

Twitter: @ChickfilANews