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

DONNA, Texas (Nov. 11, 2024) – A new Chick-fil-A^® restaurant will begin serving the Donna community on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Toni Ruiz as the independent franchised local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Donna, marking Ruiz’s second restaurant in the Rio Grande Valley area. 

Located at 1606 E IH 2, Chick-fil-A Donna will be open for dine-in, drive-thru and carry-out from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Saturday. 

The Donna restaurant joins more than 15 other Chick-fil-A restaurants serving the wider Rio Grande Valley market. 

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 Donna, Ruiz 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 Donna community’s needs. 

Born in Mexico City, Ruiz dreamed of moving to the United States as a child. When she graduated college, she relocated to the Dallas area where a friend inspired her to start working at Chick-fil-A. After becoming a Team Member in 2001, Ruiz served many different roles before being selected as the local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Weslaco in 2014. For the past decade, she has cultivated strong relationships within the community, making a lasting impact. 

Now, as the local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Donna, she is looking forward to empowering Team Members and creating a culture of hospitality, so Guests feel cared for the minute they walk in. While Ruiz has many fond memories of serving at Chick-fil-A, her favorite is meeting her husband Rene, with whom she now has two sons, Rene and Rodrigo. 

“I’m grateful to be entrusted with the opportunity to serve as the local Owner-Operator of another Chick-fil-A in Texas,” Ruiz said. “As someone who spent a lot of time in South Texas growing up, this feels like a full circle moment for me. I have been part of the community for more than 20 years, and it’s been exciting to witness the growth over the last 10 years alone. I look forward to continuing to invest in this community and creating a welcoming space for our Guests and Team Members.”  

Caring for the Donna 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 in honor of the new restaurant. These funds will be distributed to partners in the market to aid in the fight against hunger.  

Ruiz’s restaurant is planning to 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 30 million meals have been created from Chick-fil-A Shared Table donations from over 2,200 Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada.  

In addition, Chick-fil-A Donna is recognizing 100 local heroes making an impact in the Donna 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 Donna can place an order for pickup, dine-in or drive-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 Donna, 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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