The first Chick-fil-A in Silicon Valley opened at the @First shopping center in North San Jose a couple years ago. On opening weekend, it had one of the longest lines I have ever seen for any restaurant. Chick-fil-A is hoping for a repeat of that success with their second San Jose restaurant at 2280 Monterey Road near The Plant. As is tradition, they will be giving away a free year supply of Chick-fil-A to the first 100 people in line. Bring a tent if you plan to be one of those people! (Side-note: entertainment, music, and food will be provided for campers.)
Chick-fil-A is also partnering with Sacred Hearts Community Service to host a food drive on April 2nd. For every five food items brought for the food pantry, guests will receive a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A entree. More info below in the press release.
April 3 Opening of San Jose’s Newest Chick-fil-A
Restaurant Creates Nearly 70 Jobs;
First
100 Adults in
Line at New Restaurant to Win Free Year’s Supply of Chick-fil-A Meals
New Stand-Alone Restaurant at 2280 Monterey Road to Host Food
Drive with Sacred Heart Community Service
SAN JOSE, Calif. (April 3, 2014) – San
Jose’s newest stand-alone Chick-fil-A® restaurant at 2280 Monterey
Road will open April 3, bringing nearly 70 new jobs and the chance for 100
adults to win free Chick-fil-A meals for a year as the chain marks the 50th
anniversary of its signature Chick-fil-A sandwich.
Chick-fil-A’s “First 100” event, which began as a way to celebrate the
first stand-alone Chick-fil-A in Arizona in 2003, immediately became the
cornerstone of every Chick-fil-A grand opening when the first person arrived
more than 18 hours the day before, wondering where to get in line. Others soon
followed and by the time the restaurant opened for business the next day, more
than 100 were waiting.
Humbled and surprised by the dedication of its
fans, Chick-fil-A quickly implemented the “First 100” at every grand opening
and in the past 10 years has given away almost $21 million in free food at more
than 750 grand openings.
The new San Jose restaurant will be the scene of
the latest Chick-fil-A grand opening celebration. The first 100 adults, ages 18 and older with identification, in
line when the doors open about 6 a.m. on Thursday, April 3, each will win a
one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A® Meals (52 meals consisting of a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich,
medium Waffle Potato Fries™ and a medium drink) – a total of more than $30,000
in free food. The
line officially opens at 6 a.m., Wednesday, April 2, with the free meal cards
being awarded Thursday, April 3, around 6 a.m. The restaurant will open for
business immediately thereafter. If there are more than 100 people by 6 a.m. on
Wednesday, April 2, all 100 spots will be determined by a drawing held that
morning with those selected needing to camp out to secure their spot. For
complete rules, see Chick-fil-A First 100
Promotion.
In conjunction with the First 100 celebration, the
new San Jose Chick-fil-A is partnering with Sacred
Heart Community Service to
host a food drive at the new restaurant between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., Wednesday,
April 2. Chick-fil-A Owner/Operator Shannon Balderas will award a coupon for a
free Chick-fil-A entrée for every five non-perishable food items donated. Sacred
Heart provides essential services, empowers people to improve their lives,
advocates for justice and inspires volunteers to love, serve and share.
The
new restaurant comes 30 years after Chick-fil-A
first opened in California in a Cerritos mall in 1984. After 20 years of operating
in several Southern California mall locations, Chick-fil-A opened its first two
stand-alone restaurants 10 years ago in Chino Hills and Irvine in early 2004.
The new restaurant on Monterey Road will be the second Chick-fil-A restaurant
in San Jose, joining the first Bay Area stand-alone Chick-fil-A which opened on
Headquarters Drive in 2012. The two are among 68 restaurants operating in
California. The newest San Jose Chick-fil-A is the first of nine restaurants
projected to open in California this year bringing nearly 600 new jobs to the state and is
among 88 new locations the chain is opening nationwide this year, creating more
than 6,700 new jobs overall. Chick-fil-A opened more restaurants than ever
before in 2013 with 114 new locations added across the country.
With a degree in kinesiology, Balderas graduated
from the University of Texas and then pursued her Masters in social work at the
University of Houston. After a career as a Houston Police Department lieutenant
and District leader of security at Target, Balderas decided to pursue the dream
of becoming a Chick-fil-A operator almost four years ago. A Santa Clara County
resident, Balderas, her husband Rogelio and their family look forward to
serving their community.
“Our focus
on freshly prepared food and personal customer service is as central to our new
restaurant as it was the day Truett opened his first Chick-fil-A location,”
said Balderas. “That commitment continues for me and my team members at our new
San Jose location where we can’t wait to continue welcoming and serving our
guests in the community.”
The new restaurant seats 111 and has warm colors
and wood accents. It offers the convenience of free Wi-Fi and features the
chain’s latest interior and kitchen design. Additionally, customers
will find that the chain’s dual drive-thru ordering point design helps to
expand its award-winning drive-thru service.
With a majority of
customers at Chick-fil-A stand-alone restaurants choosing drive-thru, the
ability for two drivers to simultaneously order should mean quicker service.
Families can also enjoy the interactive play area. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday
from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m.
It was 50 years ago that Truett Cathy first began
serving his boneless breast-of-chicken sandwich, pressured cooked and served on
a buttered bun with two crucial pickles, at the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Ga.
It was the signature menu item when the first
Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in 1967 and though
many other selections have been added over the past five decades, it remains
the centerpiece of the menu as the chain has grown to more than 1,803
restaurants in 39 states and Washington D.C.
Chick-fil-A continues to win industry accolades
including Men’s Health “Eat This, Not That” 2013 edition which again gave the
chain high marks (A-) and named it one of the top two restaurants providing
healthier menu options.
About Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Atlanta-based
Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company
dedicated to serving the communities in which its restaurants operate. Credited
with inventing the chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves nutritious, freshly
prepared food in 1,803 restaurants in 39 states and Washington, D.C.
Founded by S. Truett Cathy in 1967, Chick-fil-A
produced sales of $5 billion in 2013. Chick-fil-A was recognized in 2013 as one
of America’s “Most Inspiring Companies” by Forbes Magazine and “Best Places to
Work” by Glassdoor™, among other honors. More information
on Chick-fil-A is available on the chain’s website, located at www.chick-fil-a.com.
