Restaurant to Bring Approximately 120 Full- and Part-Time Jobs to Community
HOUSTON, Texas (March 5, 2021) – Chick-fil-A 59 & Fondren, located off of the US-59 freeway feeder near the campus of Houston Baptist University, is slated to open for business on March 8. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Steven Kinney Jr. as the independent franchised Owner/Operator of this new Chick-fil-A restaurant in Houston. Kinney will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing approximately 120 full- and part-time Team Members, cultivating relationships with local organizations and neighboring businesses, and serving Guests. Chick-fil-A 59 & Fondren is located at 7539 SW Freeway and will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
At Chick-fil-A, safe service is our first priority. Chick-fil-A 59 & Fondren will open for drive-thru only with third-party delivery shortly after opening. Guests can take advantage of contactless ordering and payment through the free Chick-fil-A mobile app or through online ordering. To learn more about Chick-fil-A’s response to the coronavirus, please visit chick-fil-a.com/covid.
In place of the traditional Chick-fil-A First 100® Grand Opening celebration, Chick-fil-A 59 & Fondren will be surprising 100 local heroes making an impact in Houston with free Chick-fil-A for a year. Additionally, in honor of the new restaurant opening, Chick-fil-A will donate $25,000 to Feeding America. The funds will be distributed to partners within the greater Houston area to aid in the fight against hunger.
Locally Owned and Operated
Chick-fil-A 59 & Fondren is locally owned and operated by Steven Kinney Jr. Kinney, who is a native of South Carolina and grew up in the Spartanburg area. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of South Carolina in Aiken and a Master of Business Administration from Gardner Webb University in North Carolina. Upon graduating, Kinney started his career as a financial advisor at Edward Jones Investments. After two years, he was in search of new job opportunities and set his sights on a career with Chick-fil-A.
In 2010 Kinney applied to become a Team Member at Chick-fil-A Woodruff Road in Greenville, S.C. After three years of serving the local community and mastering Chick-fil-A’s signature hospitality, he applied to the Interim Manager Program. After two years of developing his business and leadership skills through the program, Kinney became the Operator of his first Restaurant — Chick-fil-A Deerbrook Mall in Houston. After two years at Chick-fil-A Deerbrook Mall, Kinney became the Operator of Chick-fil-A S. Rice and Westpark in 2018. Following this, Kinney is thrilled to open a new Restaurant in Houston only 6 miles away, Chick-fil-A 59 & Fondren. He looks forward to serving in this new role and continue building relationships in the Houston community.
Kinney and his wife have two children and have been residents of the Houston area for four years. Fun fact: Kinney and his family have lived in 14 places and moved 20 times since they got married in 2009. Kinney strives to embody Chick-fil-A's commitment to community service and is involved in several local organizations.
"My family and I are excited to continue serving the Houston community through our new Restaurant, Chick-fil-A 59 & Fondren," said Kinney. "We look forward to developing our Team Members as leaders and creating a positive dining experience for our Guests."
Team Member Investment
Chick-fil-A franchised Operators prioritize hiring, developing and retaining top talent, and providing a great work environment for people of all ages and backgrounds. They also offer their Team Members 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. As with all Chick-fil-A restaurants, Team Members are guaranteed Sundays off.
Quality Ingredients; Delicious Food
Chick-fil-A focuses on serving customers great-tasting food made with high quality ingredients. Chick-fil-A Lemonade is made from three simple ingredients: lemon juice, sugar and water. All U.S. Chick-fil-A restaurants now serve chicken raised with No Antibiotics Ever, starting from the egg. By not allowing antibiotics of any kind, Chick-fil-A chicken meets the highest commitment for non-antibiotic use. For more information about the Chick-fil-A No Antibiotics Ever commitment, visit www.chick-fil-a.com/no-antibiotics-ever.
Commitment to Customer Service
With a longstanding tradition in the restaurant industry for setting high standards in customer service, Chick-fil-A earned recognition for providing the "best fast food customer service in America" according to America's Best Customer Service 2020 report by Newsweek, among other honors.
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. For the latest news and updates on Chick-fil-A 59 & Fondren, visit the Chick-fil-A 59 & Fondren Facebook and follow along on Instagram.
About Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. Devoted to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate, and known for its original chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves freshly prepared food in more than 2,600 restaurants in 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada.
A leader in customer service satisfaction, Chick-fil-A was named top fast food restaurant in Newsweek’s 2019 America’s Best Customer Service report and received several honors in QSR’s 2019 Reader’s Choice Awards, including “The Most Respected Quick-Service Brand” and “Best Brand for Overall Experience”. Additionally, Glassdoor named Chick-fil-A one of the top 100 best places to work in 2020. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com.
