Restaurant Brings Approximately 120 Full- and Part-Time Jobs to Community,  Honors 100 Local Heroes with Free Chick-fil-A Entrées for a Year

ALBANY, N.Y. (Dec. 2, 2024) – A new Chick-fil-A^® restaurant will begin serving the Albany community on Thursday, Dec. 5. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Michael Gray as the independent franchised local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Central Avenue & Colvin Avenue.  
 
Located at 944 Central Ave., Chick-fil-A Central Avenue & Colvin Avenue will be open for dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out and Mobile Thru from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.  
 
The Chick-fil-A Central Avenue & Colvin Avenue restaurant joins three other Chick-fil-A restaurants serving the Capital Region. 
 
Locally Owned and Operated  
Chick-fil-A’s franchise model is essential to how the restaurant serves others. Most Chick-fil-A restaurants are owned and operated by a single individual, which means Chick-fil-A’s local Owner-Operators are small business owners, not passive investors, who work in their restaurants side by side with their Team Members each day.

In Albany, Gray will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing approximately 120 full- and part-time Team Members, serving Guests, cultivating relationships with local organizations and businesses, and tailoring philanthropic efforts to meet the Albany community’s needs.  
 
Gray’s journey with Chick-fil-A began in 2011 when he began serving as a part-time cashier at a
Chick-fil-A restaurant in Alabama. During his very first shift, Gray was inspired by Chick-fil-A’s commitment to service, which quickly sparked his interest in a long-term career with the company. Gray continued working his way up with Chick-fil-A, focused on his goal of becoming a local Owner-Operator and making a positive impact through his career. In 2021, he was accepted into the
Chick-fil-A^® Leadership Development Program, which provides future leaders the chance to learn alongside local Owner-Operators around the U.S. and Canada. This experience led Gray to the Northeast, where he fell in love with the Capital Region’s natural beauty and close-knit communities. After 13 years with
Chick-fil-A, Gray is thrilled to open the first restaurant in the city of Albany, alongside his wife, Olivia, whom he met while working at Chick-fil-A, and their one-year-old daughter, Ivy. 
 
“I feel incredibly humbled and grateful to be opening the first Chick-fil-A in Albany,” Gray said. “Early in my career, I realized my passion for introducing new communities to Chick-fil-A and bringing our signature hospitality to new neighborhoods. I couldn’t have dreamed of this adventure, but I feel very fortunate that my journey with Chick-fil-A has brought me and my family to the Empire State. For the community that has welcomed us so warmly, I hope to make my restaurant the most caring restaurant in the Capital Region, with our delicious food, unique career opportunities and culture of care!” 
 
Caring for the Albany Community  
The Chick-fil-A business is built to add positive impact beyond profit, including giving back to local communities. Chick-fil-A local Owner-Operators are empowered to support the neighborhoods they serve with a key focus on hunger, education, and specific community needs.  
 
In celebration of the opening, Chick-fil-A, Inc. has donated $25,000 to Feeding America to support local hunger relief efforts of Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, a Feeding America partner food bank, in honor of the new restaurant. 
 
Gray’s restaurant will participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table^® program, an initiative that redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits in need. To date, more than 25 million meals have been created from Chick-fil-A Shared Table donations from over 2,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada.  
 
In addition, Chick-fil-A Central Avenue & Colvin Avenue is recognizing 100 local heroes making an impact in the Albany area by providing them with free Chick-fil-A entrées for a year.   
 
Team Member Investment  
Chick-fil-A local Owner-Operators strive to hire, develop and retain top talent, helping future leaders optimize their skills and providing pathways for personal and professional development in a welcoming, purpose-driven environment. A career at Chick-fil-A offers a wide range of benefits, including hands-on training and mentoring, competitive pay and benefits, the chance to apply for scholarships to support continued education, and the flexibility to thrive in and outside of work. Chick-fil-A’s local Owner-Operators are committed to preparing their team for the future, wherever it may lead. To learn more about careers at Chick-fil-A, click here. 
 
Delicious Food; Outstanding Customer Service  
Chick-fil-A is known for creating a welcoming, remarkable restaurant experience, starting with friendly service, a warm welcome and quality food, including the original Chick-fil-A^® Chicken Sandwich.   
 
Made with a real, whole, boneless breast of chicken with no added fillers, the breaded chicken is pressure cooked in fully-refined peanut oil. To complement the great-tasting chicken, fresh produce is delivered to Chick-fil-A restaurants up to six times a week for the best quality and flavor. 
 
Guests of Chick-fil-A Central Avenue & Colvin Avenue can place an order for pickup, dine-in, drive-thru and Mobile Thru on the Chick-fil-A^® App or online. When joining the Chick-fil-A One^® tiered membership program, Chick-fil-A One members receive points on every qualifying purchase which can be used to redeem available rewards. To view delivery options in the area, click here. 
 
For the latest news and updates on Chick-fil-A Central Avenue & Colvin Avenue, visit the local restaurant’s Facebook page and follow along on Instagram. For more information about Chick-fil-A and stories about the Brand’s food, people and customers across the country, visit chick-fil-a.com. 
 
About Chick-fil-A, Inc.  
Chick-fil-A, Inc. is the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States, known for its freshly-prepared food, signature hospitality and unique franchise model. More than 200,000 Team Members are employed by independent owner-operators in more than 3,000 restaurants across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. In 2023, the company shared plans to expand by 2030 into Europe and Asia. Chick-fil-A owner-operators live and work in the communities their restaurants serve, each supporting local efforts to address hunger, education, and making a positive impact. The family-owned and privately held company was founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com and @ChickfilANews.

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