First 100 people camping out at a Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A will open its newest Cleveland restaurant at 1000 Paul Huff Pkwy. NW on Wednesday, bringing its handcrafted food and award-winning customer service, commitment to community engagement and hands-on mentoring for nearly 120 newly hired team members, said officials.
Becoming the operator of the Chick-fil-A at Paul Huff Parkway makes Karen Colley a multi-restaurant operator - a rare honor among Chick-fil-A franchise owners. Ms. Colley also operates the Chick-fil-A at Keith Street and is the operator consultant to the Lee University Chick-fil-A licensee location.
Born in Charlotte, N.C., Ms. Colley’s first Chick-fil-A experience occurred when she went to the local mall and sampled the chain’s signature Chick-fil-A sandwich. She became an immediate fan. After moving to Georgia, she applied to work at the Chick-fil-A Dwarf House in Jonesboro and was interviewed by Bubba Cathy, son of Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy. Ms. Colley was hired and worked there for three years and earned a Chick-fil-A Leadership Scholarship which she used to graduate with a business administration degree from Georgia State University.
She began working for Coca-Cola, USA in downtown Atlanta, battling a two-hour commute. Ms. Colley found herself missing Chick-fil-A’s culture and looked for a local opportunity to return to the chain. She was hired as general manager of the Chick-fil-A at Canton and began her journey to becoming an operator. After four years, Ms. Colley was awarded the Chick-fil-A at Walnut Square Mall in Dalton, in April 2001. She relocated to Cleveland in 2015 to operate the Keith Street restaurant. Her team’s work and success enabled them to achieve three prestigious milestone awards.
Ms. Colley and husband, Steve, along with some of their grown children, have been in the Cleveland area for more than four years. She said she strives to be a positive influence in the community and is looking forward to the expanded opportunities this new restaurant will give her in developing more young people and helping them achieve their goals.
“I love serving our Cleveland community both inside and outside my restaurant,” said Ms. Colley, whose husband, daughter and mother work with her. “I am committed to developing my team members to be excellent in all things as together we provide a remarkable experience to our guests who become part of our family.”
Ms. Colley’s nearly 5,000-square-foot restaurant has been designed to enhance all aspects of a guest’s experience from the drive-thru to the counter to in-restaurant dining. Highlights include a:
Dual-lane drive-thru merging into a single pick-up point that can handle upwards of 200 cars an hour. The location also has environment-controlled canopies to further enhance the outside face-to-face ordering experience.
Heritage restaurant design that showcases a vintage-inspired interior with floor-to-ceiling windows and drop pendant lighting.
100-seat dining room with a two-story indoor playground and free Wi-Fi, along with a 20-seat outdoor patio.
Full-service menu with a variety of healthy and dietary options and breakfast until 10:30 a.m., and will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Chick-fil-A locations are closed on Sunday.
The overnight, 12-hour grand opening First 100 Campout party includes engaging activities for participants who also will enjoy eating a Chick-fil-A meal during the countdown to the opening. Registration begins in the restaurant parking lot at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Details include:
Up to 100 adults winning a digital offer card with a year 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).
The community event is open to guests surrounding the restaurant with a list of eligible zip codes and complete rules found at https://thechickenwire.chick-fil-a.com/News/Future-Openings.
The Paul Huff Parkway Chick-fil-A becomes the third location in Cleveland, where the chain opened its first metro-Chattanooga restaurant in 1982 at Northgate Mall. It is one of 120 new restaurants slated to open nationwide, creating more than 10,000 jobs.
For more information about the Paul Huff Parkway restaurant, visit Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Chick-fil-A-Paul-Huff-Pkwy-100990027987094/ .
First 100 people camping out at a Chick-fil-A