Chick-fil-A is scheduled to open its Royal Oak restaurant tomorrow at 6 a.m., bringing roughly 100 jobs and a $25,000 donation for local hunger-relief groups. The Woodward Avenue outpost will be run by Kacey Engstrom, who already operates the chain's Somerset Collection North location in Troy.
The restaurant will take over a long-vacant space at Woodward Corners at 30955 Woodward Ave., Suite 605, replacing a Wahlburgers that closed in 2022, according to Crain's Detroit Business. Crain's reported the company expects the opening to create 80–120 jobs and that this will be the chain's fifth Oakland County location. Royal Oak planning documents also list interior renovations for Unit 605, confirming the build-out is underway (Royal Oak planning documents).
Opening Day: Hours, Offerings and Freebies
Opening-day plans call for a 6 a.m. start tomorrow with dine-in, carry-out, delivery and curbside service available. The restaurant is scheduled to operate Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The location will include a small playground for families and will kick things off with a promotion that invites customers to dress in cow-themed attire for a chance at a free entrée or kids' meal while supplies last, as reported by MLive.
Operator and Hiring
The Royal Oak restaurant will be operated by Kacey Engstrom, who is listed as the restaurant operator on Chick-fil-A's location page and also runs the Somerset Collection North store in Troy (Chick-fil-A). That location's careers board lists openings for front- and back-of-house roles, and the company says openings like this typically include a mix of full- and part-time positions along with training and scholarship opportunities for team members.
Community Giveback and Local Expansion
Chick-fil-A Inc. is donating $25,000 to local hunger-relief efforts, with MLive reporting the funds for the Royal Oak opening will be split between Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan and Forgotten Harvest. Similar $25,000 contributions have accompanied other recent openings in Oakland County, as noted in local government materials documenting prior restaurant launches (Auburn Hills city packet).
What It Means for Woodward Avenue
The arrival fills a long-empty storefront on Woodward and tracks with ongoing redevelopment along the corridor, where city planning documents show interior work and tenant fit-outs for the Woodward Corners plaza. Officials and neighbors will be watching how the plaza handles opening-day foot traffic from one of the region's more popular fast-food chains.
Chick-fil-A's Royal Oak restaurant opens tomorrow. Job-seekers can find application details and position listings on the chain's careers and location pages (Chick-fil-A), and local background reporting is available from Crain's Detroit Business.
