Vernon Hills’ First Chick-fil-A Restaurant Opens Nov. 14;
First 100 Adults in Line at New Stand-Alone Restaurant to Win Year’s Supply of Chick-fil-A Meals
Vernon Hills’ first Chick-fil-A® restaurant will open Nov. 14, bringing nearly 80 new jobs and the chance for 100 adults to win free Chick-fil-A meals for a year as the chain reaches the 10th anniversary of its signature grand opening celebration.
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 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 more than $18 million in free food at almost 700 grand openings. An additional $2.5 million is slated to be given away at 91 grand openings this year.
The new restaurant at 701 N. Milwaukee Ave. 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, Nov. 14, each will win a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A® Meals (52 coupons with each 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, Nov. 13, with the free meal cards being awarded Thursday, Nov. 14, around 6 a.m.
The restaurant will open immediately thereafter. If there are more than 100 people by 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 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.
For 10 years, Chick-fil-A has hosted the parking lot parties, providing security, entertainment and, of course, plenty of Chick-fil-A to its dedicated fans who often arrive more than 24 hours in advance prepared with TVs, computers, tents, games and other gear to make their stay more comfortable. The First 100 Celebrations have been the backdrop for family reunions, girls’ nights out, birthday celebrations, college study parties and several marriage proposals as people come from around the corner or across the country to be part of the festivities.
Recognizing that some community residents may struggle economically, especially as the holidays near, the restaurant is partnering with The Chapel for a non-perishable food drive at the restaurant from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15, and Saturday, Nov. 16, which will benefit the Community CARE Center. Anyone donating four or more items during that time will receive a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich. Items needed include: soup, chili, fruit, tomatoes, and tuna. The Chapel is a multi-site church that serves the surrounding communities.
Additional grand opening festivities include:
• Chicago Bears linebacker, #59 Khaseem Greene will greet fans and sign autographs at the restaurant from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15.
• A Mini Milkshake Bash for all area high school students Friday, Nov. 15th from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Chick-fil-A first entered the state 30 years ago, opening in Moline, Ill., at Southpark Mall. The Vernon Hills restaurant becomes the state’s 26th location and second to open within eight weeks. It is the sixth to open in metro Chicago this year, joining other locations in Chicago Ridge, downtown Chicago, Mount Prospect, Batavia, and Belleville and adding more than 420 new jobs in Illinois. This year Chick-fil-A will open more restaurants than ever before. The new Chick-fil-A in Vernon Hills is one of 114 new restaurants the chain plans to open across the country in 2013, creating more than 6,600 new jobs. Chick-fil-A continued to grow in 2012, increasing the number of new restaurants initially planned for the year and reporting record-setting annual sales of more than $4.6 billion.
Beth Dahlenburg, who has lived in the suburbs for more than 20 years, has been selected as Owner/Operator of the new Chick-fil-A restaurant. With a degree in English and speech communications from Illinois Wesleyan University, Dahlenburg joins Chick-fil-A with 21 years of leadership development and sales/marketing experience. Along with her husband Larry and three children, Dahlenburg, looks forward to serving the Vernon Hills 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 Dahlenburg. “That commitment continues for me and my team members at our new Vernon Hills location where we can’t wait to welcome and serve first time guests to try Chick-fil-A as well as those that are already fans of the brand.”
The new restaurant seats 136 with additional outdoor seating and has warm colors, wood accents and offers the convenience of free Wi-Fi. Along with featuring the chain’s latest interior and kitchen design the restaurant includes dual drive-thru ordering lanes to expand its award-winning drive-thru service. Two drive-thru lanes will welcome motorists who will place their orders at separate screens and then merge into a single lane to pay for and pick up their food. 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. 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.
As part of the chain’s ongoing commitment to offer fresh, delicious and nutritious options, the restaurant’s menu will feature its new line of premium salads that are handcrafted onsite using top-quality ingredients and include Cobb, Asian and Grilled Market Salads and a Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap.
Earlier this month, for a limited time, the chain brought back its popular Chicken Tortilla Soup made with shredded breast of chicken, three beans and a blend of vegetables and spices and topped with seasoned corn tortilla strips.
Chick-fil-A continues to win industry accolades including research firm Technomic’s 2012 Customer Restaurant Brand study which analyzed 52 restaurants. The firm polled 38,000 consumers in the categories they said mattered most – food, cleanliness, service, value, beverage and atmosphere. Chick-fil-A was the only chain to rank in the top five of all six key categories. Men’s Health “Eat This, Not That” 2013 edition again gave the chain high marks (A-) and named it one of the top two restaurants providing healthier menu options. -
For more information on the Vernon Hills Chick-fil-A restaurant visit www.cfarestaurant.com/vernonhills or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cfaVernonHills.
