Chicken Salad Chick is planning to open a second New Orleans-area location at Lakeside Mall in Metairie, generating buzz among local shoppers online. There is no public timeline yet, and the specific mall suite for the restaurant has not been announced.
The news first appeared in local Facebook groups and was later acknowledged on the chain’s Metairie page. If confirmed, the restaurant would join a busy regional mall that already sees heavy weekend foot traffic, according to NOLA.
Chain growth and local footprint
Chicken Salad Chick has been in expansion mode. A corporate press release this month described a banner 2025 and put the brand's systemwide footprint at roughly 325 restaurants as it targets new markets. That national push helps explain why local franchise partners have been lining up additional sites in the Gulf Coast and Gulf South. The concept is built around dozens of chicken salad flavors, along with sandwiches, soups and catering that are easy to tote through malls and suburbs.
The chain's first New Orleans area restaurant opened April 22, 2025, at 3005 Veterans Boulevard near the Lakeside corridor, an opening covered by trade outlets as well as the company's own release. Local franchisees behind the Metairie debut, the DiPaola and Spring families, have said they intend to develop multiple Chicken Salad Chick units in the metro area. That first launch came with a week of grand opening promotions and community fundraising events tied to local charities.
Where in Lakeside and why it matters
Lakeside Shopping Center, at 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd, is already packed with national and regional restaurants and retailers, which makes it a prime stage for another quick-service player. The mall's directory and events calendar highlight why operators covet that stretch of Veterans Memorial for visibility and steady weekday and weekend traffic. Local reporting has also pointed out that word of the new Chicken Salad Chick surfaced through social media chatter rather than a formal mall press release, and mall officials have so far stayed quiet on the speculation.
What to expect next
When Chicken Salad Chick rolls into a new neighborhood, it typically brings in-restaurant seating, some patio space, carryout, third party delivery and often drive thru or curbside service. The Metairie debut last year listed weekday hours and a menu built around scoopable chicken salads and sides. The brand has leaned on app based giveaways and first day promotions at previous openings, so Lakeside shoppers will want to keep an eye on franchise social channels and the mall's directory for an official grand opening date. Until either the company or Lakeside posts a detailed announcement, specifics on the exact spot, build out schedule and hiring plans are still up in the air.
For now, Metairie fans are refreshing the chain's social feeds and local groups, waiting on a formal update, and quietly ranking which signature scoop will be the first order when the registers finally turn on.
