Restaurant Brings Approximately 115 Full- and Part-Time Jobs to Community, Honors 100 Local Heroes with Free Chick-fil-A Entrées for a Year

VALLEY, Ala. (Dec. 2, 2024) – A new Chick-fil-A^® restaurant will begin serving the Valley community on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Cole Flanders as the independent franchised local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Valley. 

Located at 3215 20th Ave., Chick-fil-A Valley will be open for dine-in, drive-thru, and carry-out from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through Saturday. Because Chick-fil-A restaurants are designed to serve the unique needs of each community, Chick-fil-A Valley will also feature a playground to serve Guests with children. 

The Valley restaurant joins more than 15 other Chick-fil-A restaurants serving the wider Columbus 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 Valley, Flanders will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing approximately 115 full- and part-time Team Members, serving Guests, cultivating relationships with local organizations and businesses, and tailoring philanthropic efforts to meet the Valley community’s needs. 

Flanders brings nearly eight years of Chick-fil-A experience to his role as the local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Valley. After graduating college, he began his career in the poultry industry, but soon discovered a calling to serve the community more directly. His Chick-fil-A journey began in 2016, inspired by his wife, Alecia, whom he met while she was serving as a Restaurant Marketing Director. Together, they worked at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Athens, Georgia, and now look forward to continuing to work together. It was during those early years serving in the restaurant that Flanders recognized his aspiration to become a local Owner-Operator, driven by a commitment to make a meaningful impact through service in his community. 

With a vision to lead his own restaurant and make a positive impact, Flanders joined the Chick-fil-A^® Leadership Development Program to deepen his skills in operations and leadership. Now, he’s excited to bring his passion for service to the Valley community, focusing on creating an inviting environment where Guests feel genuinely valued and connected. 

“At Chick-fil-A Valley, we want to create more than just a dining experience—we want to be a place where the community can come together and every interaction feels meaningful,” said Flanders. “I’m honored to serve Valley and look forward to building a Team who not only serves delicious food but also brings genuine care to every Guest.” 

Caring for the Valley 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 greater Columbus area to aid in the fight against hunger. 

Flanders’ restaurant will plan 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 Valley is recognizing 100 local heroes making an impact in the Valley 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 Valley can place an order for pickup, dine-in, delivery, drive-thru, 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 Valley, 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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