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

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. (June 12, 2023) – A new Chick-fil-A^® restaurant will begin serving the Winter Garden community on Thursday, June 15. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Ron Florence as the independent franchised Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Hamlin.  

Locally Owned and Operated  
Florence brings more than five years of Operator experience to Chick-fil-A Hamlin. However, his career started long before his first restaurant, Chick-fil-A Chantilly Air and Space in Chantilly, Va., opened in 2017. Prior to joining Chick-fil-A, Florence served in the United States Navy for nearly 30 years. 

After graduating from Ohio State University with a B.S. in Business Administration, Florence continued his education at the University of Arkansas and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces to prepare for his career as a U.S. Navy Pilot. He served as a three-time Naval Aviation Commanding Officer and was deployed worldwide four times to five different continents and over 30 countries. He served on five Pentagon tours before retiring in 2017, after 29 years of service.  

In addition to his time serving the United States, Florence was also committed to serving the communities in which he lived. He coached youth sports teams, led a troop as a Boy Scouts of America Scoutmaster and served with local church groups while he and his wife Laurie raised their sons, Logan, Reid and Carson. 

As full-time, hands-on leaders in their restaurants and communities, Chick-fil-A Owner/Operators proudly reside in the communities in which they serve.  
 
“I look forward to supporting my Team Members, as well as providing support for Veterans and those in need in the Winter Garden community,” Florence said. “The Orlando area is a special place to me and my family. It’s where I was stationed for three years, where I met my wife and where we adopted our first two sons. We’re excited to return to this community and pour back into it, as it has done for me.” 

When he’s not serving guests at the restaurant, Florence enjoys spending time with his wife and his three sons. Logan and Reid will graduate from college and start Navy Flight School this year in Pensacola, Fla. Laurie will serve as the administrative leader at Chick-fil-A Hamlin, and Carson is a Team Leader at the restaurant. 

In Winter Garden, Florence will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing approximately 115 full- and part-time Team Members, serving guests and cultivating relationships with local organizations and businesses.  

About the Restaurant 
Located at 15899 New Independence Parkway, Chick-fil-A Hamlin will be open for dine-in, drive-thru and carry-out from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Guests of Chick-fil-A Hamlin can place an order for pickup, dine-in or delivery 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. Visit chick-fil-a.com/delivery to view delivery options in your area. 
 
The Hamlin restaurant joins more than 60 Chick-fil-A restaurants serving the wider Orlando market.  

Caring for the Winter Garden Community  
In celebration of the opening, Chick-fil-A, Inc. will donate $25,000 to Feeding America in honor of the new restaurant. These funds will be distributed to partners in the greater Orlando area to aid in the fight against hunger.  

In addition, Chick-fil-A Hamlin is recognizing 100 local heroes making an impact in the Winter Garden area by providing them with free Chick-fil-A entrées for a year.  

Florence’s restaurant will plan to participate in Chick-fil-A Shared Table^®, an initiative that redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits in need. To date, more than 18 million meals have been served nationwide from Chick-fil-A Shared Table donations. 

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 Hamlin, 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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