Maureen Wallenfang
Appleton Post-Crescent
Published 7:13 AM EDT Aug 23, 2019
Northeastern Wisconsin’s first Chick-fil-A opens at 6:30 a.m. next Thursday, Aug. 29, at 3775 W. College Ave. in Grand Chute.
Five things to know before heading out for a chicken sandwich and waffle fries:
CAMP OUT: The night before the opening, Chick-fil-A holds its “First 100” camp out. The first 100 people who register at 6 p.m. and sleep in the parking lot overnight will get coupons for free food for a year. It’s only for locals. See qualifying zip codes and rules here. A tip: get to the sign-up 10 to 15 minutes early to be in the running. Franchise owner Eric Krebs says Fox Cities campers are lucky. “The first grand opening I did was in Blaine, Minnesota in January 2016. It was 10 below zero and we had eight inches of snow a few days before. We had 100 people.”
CONGESTION: Expect a lot of traffic and long lines. Krebs said they’ll speed things up with employees outside, walking along the dual-drive-up lanes with order tablets. National trainers will be assisting the 120-person staff.
CLOSED SUNDAYS: S. Truett Cathy founded Chick-fil-A in 1967 on “hard work, humility and biblical principles,” and believed Sunday was a day for employees “to rest and worship if they choose.” All Chick-fil-A locations are closed Sundays.
CONTROVERSY: In 2012, CEO Dan Cathy expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage. LGBTQ supporters claim the company has a history of donating money to groups opposing LGBTQ rights. In response, the company issued a statement saying it treats every person with “honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.”
CHICKEN: Chick-fil-A is known for its signature chicken sandwich, which was copied by rival Popeyes last week. It’s a breaded chicken breast with pickles on a buttered, toasted bun. It also has grilled and gluten-free choices, mac and cheese and a separate breakfast menu.
More info: cfaappleton.com. Open 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Have a story idea? Contact reporter Maureen Wallenfang at 920-993-7116 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @wallenfang.
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