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

PETAL, Miss. (Jan. 2, 2023) – A new Chick-fil-A^® restaurant will begin serving the Petal community on Thursday, Jan. 5. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Annah Johnson as the independent franchised Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Petal. 
 
Located at 1156 Evelyn Gandy Parkway, Chick-fil-A Petal will be open for dine-in, drive-thru and carry-out from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Guests of Chick-fil-A Petal can place an order for pickup or dine-in on the Chick-fil-A^® App or online. When joining the Chick-fil-A One^® tiered membership program, guests receive points on every qualifying purchase which can be used to redeem available rewards. Visit chick-fil-a.com/delivery to view delivery options in your area.
 
The Petal restaurant joins six other Chick-fil-A restaurants serving the wider Hattiesburg-Laurel market. 

Locally Owned and Operated 
As full-time, hands-on leaders in their restaurants and communities, Chick-fil-A Owner/Operators proudly reside in the areas in which they serve. 
 
In Petal, Johnson will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing approximately 120 full- and part-time Team Members, serving guests and cultivating relationships with local organizations and businesses. 

For Johnson, the idea of joining  Chick-fil-A was introduced to her on her first date with her now-husband, Justin, who pointedly stated that one day they would own a Chick-fil-A restaurant. After gaining a better understanding of the company values and the  impact Chick-fil-A restaurants make in their local communities, she’s been committed to bringing Chick-fil-A to Petal, where she’s lived for seven years. Johnson started her Chick-fil-A journey in 2017 in her hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, serving as General Manager for Chick-fil-A Laurel, and quickly advanced to become the Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Sawmill Square Mall. Now, as she moves from Sawmill Square Mall to Petal, Johnson looks forward to bringing the delicious food and signature hospitality to her own neighbors and building upon her current relationships with local organizations.

“Being part of the Chick-fil-A family has been a wonderful blessing. I am so lucky to call Petal home and raise my two children here, and I am eternally grateful to become the Operator of Petal’s own Chick-fil-A,” said Johnson. “I’ve had many wonderful opportunities to help, influence and serve communities in my home state through Chick-fil-A, and I look forward to partnering with local non-profit organizations and the school system in Petal while offering a fun and inviting work environment for our Team Members.” 

Caring for the Petal Community 
In honor of the opening, Chick-fil-A, Inc. will donate $25,000 to Feeding America on behalf of the new restaurant. These funds will be distributed to partners in the greater Petal area to aid in the fight against hunger. 
 
Chick-fil-A Petal is recognizing 100 local heroes making an impact in the area by providing them with free Chick-fil-A meals for a year. 

Johnson’s restaurant will be participating 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. 
  
Team Member Investment 
Chick-fil-A Operators are committed to hiring, developing and retaining top talent and providing a positive work environment for people of all ages and backgrounds. Team Members have opportunities for flexible work hours and leadership growth, competitive pay and benefits, hands-on training and mentoring and the chance to apply for scholarships to support their continuing education. 
 
Delicious Food; Outstanding Customer Service 
Chick-fil-A is known for serving customers great-tasting food made with high-quality ingredients, 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. Chick-fil-A was one of the first in the industry to eliminate chicken raised with antibiotics to ensure guests have an option for high-quality food on the go.
 
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. The fresh ingredients are raised and grown by farmers who share the company’s elevated quality and safety standards, so guests feel good about their meal.
 
For the latest news and updates on Chick-fil-A Petal, 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. 
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a restaurant company known for the Original Chick-fil-A^® Chicken Sandwich and signature hospitality. Represented by more than 190,000 Team Members, Operators and Staff, Chick-fil-A^® restaurants serve guests freshly prepared food at more than 2,800 restaurants in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. The family-owned and privately held restaurant company was founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy and is committed to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate.  
 
Known for its leadership and growth opportunities, in 2022 Chick-fil-A was named a Best Employer in America by Forbes and a top company for career opportunities for Black employees by Glassdoor. The company was also awarded the Employee’s Choice by Glassdoor honoring top CEOs and was named a Culture 500 Culture Champion in 2020. A leader in customer service, Chick-fil-A was named QSR magazine’s Drive-Thru Restaurant of the Year in 2021. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com and @ChickfilANews.

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