Chick-fil-A Opens Two Metro-Tampa Restaurants on May 2

TAMPA (May 2, 2019) – Chick-fil-A opened its first Tampa location in August 1974 in the former University Mall and will celebrate that milestone 45 years later with the May 2 Uptown District restaurant opening -- marking the return to its original Tampa roots and site that is now undergoing a major revitalization. The opening is one of two occurring May 2 with the other Chick-fil-A location in Wesley Chapel.

Tampa native and Operator Denis Spradlin becomes a multi-restaurant owner with the opening of the Chick-fil-A at Uptown District at 2811 East Fowler Avenue that will include a First 100 Road Trip.Operator Jim Larreau will open the Wesley Chapel restaurant, located on 28295 State Road 54, by hosting an overnight 12-hour First 100 Campout. The May 1 grand opening celebrations embody a 15-year Chick-fil-A tradition of community engagement.

Chick-fil-A at Uptown District Restaurant / First 100 Road Trip

The Uptown District Road Trip will provide an impactful experience on many levels for up to 100 adult participants, who will be transported on chartered buses for a daylong interactive and service field trip ending the same day. Details include:

· Up to 100 adults at each location will win 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).

· Road Trip registration begins at the restaurant at 6 a.m. on May 1 and will continue until 8:30 a.m. or when 100 people are registered, whichever comes first. The event will last through approximately 5 p.m. that evening.

· Community events are open to guests living near the individual restaurant with a list of eligible zip codes and complete rules found at https://thechickenwire.chick-fil-a.com/News/Future-Openings [thechickenwire.chick-fil-a.com].

The event fulfills Spradlin’s passion as an Operator to continue making a difference in his community before he even opens the doors. Spradlin’s wife, Rhonda, is an intricate part of his becoming a Chick-fil-A Operator as the restaurant chain was often the site for their regular lunch dates together – helping to strengthen not only their love for each other but also the brand. Now, more than 40 years later, Chick-fil-A and Rhonda are still front and center in his life.

Spradlin had a very successful 12-year career in the maintenance, repairs and operational supplies industry as senior vice president of sales and marketing. When his company was bought out, Spradlin began looking into opportunities where he could go into business for himself but not by himself. A few friends asked if he had ever considered becoming a Chick-fil-A franchise owner. A few weeks following that conversation, his daughter began working at their local Chick-fil-A. When he also saw a Ford Expedition with Chick-fil-A Award Winner signage, he took those as signs to look further into the brand where he had already fallen in love with its food. The more he learned about the brand and its focus on freshly prepared food, genuine hospitality, and having a positive impact on the communities it serves, Spradlin realized the franchise owner role was the perfect fit for his entrepreneurial goals. It was no April Fool’s joke when on April 1, 2003, he was awarded the Brandon Mall Chick-fil-A location right in his hometown to begin his new venture.

Spradlin’s hard work and results earned him the opportunity to transfer in November 2013 to open the new stand-alone Chick-fil-A at Temple Terrace in the area where he met his wife and lived after getting married. It would be at that location that Spradlin would win the keys to his own Chick-fil-A Award Winner Ford vehicle, a F-150 Truck, as a result of his team winning back-to-back Symbol of Success awards – the chain’s highest honor for Operators in 2014 and 2015. With the full-circle opening of the Uptown District restaurant, Spradlin joins a small percentage of Operators to own two stand-alone locations. He will employ nearly 200 Team Members between the two stores with interested candidates encouraged to stop at the applicable location or learn more at www.cfattjobs.com [cfattjobs.com]. Additional Uptown District information can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cfauptown/

Chick-fil-A at Wesley Chapel Restaurant / 12-Hour First 100 Campout

The Wesley Chapel celebration includes an overnight 12-Hour Campout beginning at 6 p.m. on May 1. Larreau also will be partnering with Bridging Freedom to combat domestic minor sex trafficking. Wesley Chapel First 100 participants and guests are encouraged to bring items such as individual craft kits, toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, healthy snacks and gardening seeds to the new restaurant during the grand opening week. Additional details include:

· Up to 100 adults at each location will win 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).

· First 100 Campout registration begins at the restaurant at 6 p.m. on May 1 with the overnight event ending around 5:45 a.m. the next morning.

It is a homecoming for Larreau who is transferring from St. Petersburg’s Chick-fil-A at Tyrone Boulevard restaurant where his team earned the Symbol of Success. Having grown up in Tampa in the Town ‘n’ Country area, Larreau was awarded the Chick-fil-A at Westshore Plaza in October 2002, following 21 years of working for the chain which began at age 14 and would include serving as interim manager at the Tampa Bay Mall location where first employed. He followed in the footsteps of his sister, Teresa, who was working as a Team Member at the mall Chick-fil-A and now serves as Larreau’s senior executive director. She is part of his leadership team that consists of seven other members who also transferred over with him and have nearly four decades of experience working together. Larreau knew by age 16 that he wanted to be a Chick-fil-A Operator and is thrilled to be closer to the area where it all began to run Wesley Chapel’s first Chick-fil-A restaurant.

Additional information about Wesley Chapel can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CFAWCFL/.

Restaurant Details

The Uptown District 4,679-square-foot restaurant will seat 140 inside and 20 outside and the Wesley Chapel 4,877-square-foot location will seat 134 inside with 22 outside. Both restaurants have been designed to enhance all aspects of a guest’s experience, from the drive-thru to the counter to in-restaurant dining. Highlights for both include a:

· dining room with a vintage-inspired interior, including a large gathering table made from reclaimed wood, light

fixtures from recycled Coca-Cola bottles and peach baskets.

· designated inside Chick-fil-A mobile order pick-up counter. The Wesley Chapel restaurant, along with Spradlin’s Temple Terrace location, will also feature the Dine-In Mobile ordering test that allows dining room guests to go directly to a table to place their order which will be hand-delivered to their table.

· full-service menu with a variety of healthy and dietary options, including breakfast until 10:30 a.m. Both restaurants are open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily except Sundays.

· two-lane drive-thru that features face-to-face ordering, with lanes merging into a single pick-up point. The Uptown District location also has an environment-controlled canopy to further enhance the outside ordering experience.

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com [chick-fil-a.com].