Call it a Chick-fil-A invasion: South Florida is about to eat a lot more ‘chikin’
South Florida is about to see a lot more cows with signs reading, “Eat Mor Chikin.”
Call it a Chick-fil-A invasion.
SEVEN, count them, SEVEN new restaurants are set to open up PDQ, pretty darn quick.
There will be a whopping four in Dade (Hialeah, Kendall, North Miami Beach, River Landing), two in Palm Beach (West Boca, West Boynton Beach) and one in Broward (Davie).
The Hialeah and West Boca locations could start serving up the chain’s famed waffle fries, shakes and nuggets as early as December, the company said. The others will open in the first half of 2021, and we are here for all the good news.
If the pandemic wiped out your income, you may want to send over a resume.
“In total, these restaurants will create more than 700 full- and part-time job opportunities in South Florida,” the company said in a statement. “Chick-fil-A expects to continue this strong growth in the South Florida market for the years to come with a focus on the greater Miami area.”
The first Chick-fil-A opened in 1967, in the food court of the Greenbriar Mall, in an Atlanta suburb. It was founded by Truet Cathy, whose 2002 book “Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People,” explained the strange spelling of the name.
“I would have to misspell a word, turn it sideways or upside down, or do something else to distinguish it,” Cathy wrote. “I began to reflect on the product, which was the best part of the chicken — a boneless breast. It occurred to me that the best cut of beef is a fillet; why not call ours a chicken fillet? Or chick fillet? Or Chick-fil-A?”
While the menu has evolved since the 1960s, the signature grilled chicken sandwich reigns supreme.
As for the famed cow spokesanimal: The bovines were spotlighted in order to steer (no pun) Americans away from eating so much beef. “Cow Appreciation Days,” which were celebrated by giving away free food and doling out other perks, ended in 2018. The word “chicken” was intentionally misspelled as if the cows were actually writing the plea. LOL.
The formula is working, even in the coronavirus era: According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Restaurant report for 2019-2020, Chick-fil-A is the so-called King of Fast Food. The study revealed which restaurants outperformed in customer satisfaction at the start of the pandemic and it came in at numero uno.
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 4:08 PM.
