Texas Border Business
New Location Creates More Than 90 Jobs, Awards Year Supply of Chick-fil-A Meals to First 100
Celebration at New Pharr Restaurant Includes New Children’s Book Drive Benefitting the Boys and Girls Club
PHARR, Texas (Dec. 10, 2015) – Pharr’s first stand-alone Chick-fil-A® restaurant will open Dec. 10, bringing more than 90 new jobs, the chance for 100 adults to win free Chick-fil-A meals for a year and the opportunity for community members to donate books to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Pharr.
Last month marked the 12-year anniversary of the chain’s First 100 event with more than $26 million in free food having been given away since it was first held in 2003 in Goodyear, Ariz. Chick-fil-A’s “First 100” celebration continues to be the chain’s signature grand opening event, which transforms the restaurant parking lot into a 24-hour community friendly party as the crowd awaits the opening..
Located at 2023 Interstate 2 West, in front of Home Goods and adjacent to Costco Wholesale, the Pharr
Chick-fil-A First 100 event will award more than $32,000 in free food. A digital offer card loaded with a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A Meals (52 meals with each consisting of a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, medium Waffle Potato Fries™ and a medium beverage) will be given to each of the first 100 eligible adults, ages 18 and older with identification, in line when the doors open at 6 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10. If more than 100 people are onsite when the line can officially form at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9, then all 100 spots will be determined by a drawing held that morning with those selected needing to camp out for 24 hours to secure their spot. This community event is open to guests residing in specific zip codes surrounding the restaurant. A complete listing of eligible zip codes and rules can be found at Chick-fil-A First 100 Promotion.
Chick-fil-A believes in partnering with local organizations that enrich education and provide for those in need. In that spirit, Pharr Chick-fil-A Operator Michael Hancock is collecting new children’s books on Wednesday, Dec. 10 through the grand opening weekend. The books collected during the grand opening celebration will be placed in a special Book House and donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Pharr. The Book House serves as a free library exchange – allowing anyone to take a book after replacing it with one of their own. Created from old and thrown out wood, the Book House is one of several community programs made possible through the support of the Chick-fil-A Foundation (www.chick-fil-afoundation.org).
Veteran Operator Hancock has been selected to as the franchisee for the new Pharr location. He began working for Chick-fil-A 12 years ago in Houston where he earned a Master’s in finance from the University of Houston. Hancock became an Operator in 2010 and is transferring from the Chick-fil-A in North Laredo. He has a five-year-old daughter, Elliana.
“Personalized customer service and freshly prepared food have been the hallmarks of Chick-fil-A since the day founder Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant,” said Hancock. “My team members and I are committed to those same ideas as we welcome our guests to our Pharr restaurant and provide them with a remarkable experience.”
The opening of the Pharr stand-alone Chick-fil-A restaurant will create over 90 new jobs. Featuring the chain’s newest Heritage interior and kitchen design, the location can seat 150 with additional outdoor seating for 26. The upgraded interior includes subway tile and metals in a variety of finishes and patinas, all complimented by an abundance of windows. The vintage-inspired interior includes a community table made of reclaimed timber and other unique custom features such light fixtures made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles and peach baskets.
The restaurant also includes dual drive-thru ordering lanes to expand the chain’s award-winning service that enables motorists to place orders at separate screens and then merge into a single lane to pay and pick up their orders. With a majority of Chick-fil-A customers choosing to drive thru, the ability for two drivers to simultaneously order will mean quicker service.
Customers will be able to stay connected through the restaurant’s free Wi-Fi and parents will appreciate the indoor play area which includes an interactive section for toddlers. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m. Like all Chick-fil-A restaurants, it will be closed on Sunday.
Perfecting a recipe his mother used in her Atlanta boarding house, Cathy first served his boneless breast-of-chicken sandwich, pressured cooked and served on a buttered bun with two crucial pickles, at his Dwarf Grill restaurant which opened in 1946 in Hapeville, Ga. It was the signature menu item when the first Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in 1967 inside an Atlanta mall.
The Chick-fil-A at Cornerstone is one of 88 new restaurants the chain plans to open across the country in 2015, creating more than 7,400 new jobs.
