Raytown is getting its first Chick-fil-A on Thursday, and the chicken chain is opening the doors at 9330 E. State Route 350 at 6:30 a.m. The new restaurant replaces a demolished Applebee's and is expected to bring around 120 jobs to the area, according to a company press release.
Chick-fil-A selected Andrew Hartley as the local Owner-Operator of the Raytown restaurant, a role the company confirmed in its announcement on Chick-fil-A's press room. Hartley got his start in the business working at a Chick-fil-A location in Illinois while in college back in 2010, and he has since put down roots much closer to this new restaurant. “My family and I have called the area home for nearly eight years,” Hartley said, per the press release.
Hartley also called the milestone personal. “Bringing the first Chick-fil-A restaurant to this community is an incredible honor,” he said, according to the company's announcement. The Raytown location marks the chain's 20th spot in the Kansas City area, according to The Kansas City Star.
What's Inside the New Location
The restaurant will feature a dual drive-thru with a dedicated lane for mobile orders, an indoor playground and seating for 90 guests, the Star's report notes. Guests will be able to order through dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out, third-party delivery, mobile pick-up and Mobile Thru service, per Chick-fil-A's announcement. The Atlanta-based chain is known for chicken sandwiches and nuggets served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with waffle fries, specialty milkshakes, frosted lemonades, sodas and floats.
Hours will run 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with the restaurant closed on Sundays, matching Chick-fil-A's longstanding company-wide practice. Back in May, a company spokesperson told the Star the location was targeting a fall opening, pending any delays, and that it was expected to create approximately 80 to 120 jobs. At that point, the chain counted 19 standalone and university-licensed restaurants across the Kansas City metro, a count the November opening pushes to 20.
Opening-Day Perks and a Donation to Harvesters
Chick-fil-A Raytown will host a moove-in party on opening day, and guests who show up dressed in cow attire can redeem one free entrée or kids' meal inside the restaurant or in the drive-thru. The offer is limited to one per person in cow attire per day, while supplies last, and no purchase is necessary.
The opening also comes with a charitable component. Chick-fil-A, Inc. says it is marking the debut with a $25,000 donation to support local hunger-relief efforts of Harvesters, a local food bank, and the restaurant team plans to make that donation on opening day itself, the Star reports.
