Restaurant to Bring Approximately 120 Full- and Part-Time Jobs to Community
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (June 28, 2021) – A new Chick-fil-A® restaurant is slated to open for business in Jacksonville’s Lakewood neighborhood on Thursday, July 1. Chick-fil-AÒ, Inc. has selected Jason Walker as the independent franchised Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Lakewood. Walker 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 Lakewood is located at 3814 University Blvd. W., around the corner from Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, and will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Chick-fil-A remains committed to serving guests safely. Chick-fil-A Lakewood will open for drive-thru, carry-out and dine-in service. 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 safety protocols, please visit the COVID-19 response page.
In place of the traditional Chick-fil-A First 100® Grand Opening celebration, Chick-fil-A Lakewood will be surprising 100 local heroes making an impact in Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville area to aid in the fight against hunger.
Locally Owned and Operated
Chick-fil-A Lakewood is locally owned and operated by Jason Walker. A Charlotte native, Walker attended college at Appalachian State University in his home state of North Carolina and began his career with Chick-fil-A shortly after graduating. In search of a way to make a positive impact in his community, Walker applied to become a manager at a nearby restaurant, Chick-fil-A Statesville. As a result of his hard work and dedication, Walker was selected to become a West Coast Grand Opening Supervisor for Chick-fil-A, helping open the first Chick-fil-A restaurants in Arizona and California.
In 2008, Walker was thrilled to be selected as the Operator of Chick-fil-A Orange Park Mall in Orange Park Florida. While serving the Orange Park community, Walker met his now wife and mother of his two children, Sarah. Walker is excited to transition into his new role as the Operator of Chick-fil-A Lakewood. Alongside his family, he looks forward to continuing to build relationships in the Jacksonville area and bringing a new restaurant to the Lakewood community.
“I hope that my journey can serve as an example of the amazing opportunities for growth and development that come with working at Chick-fil-A,” said Walker. “With this new restaurant, I look forward to offering these same opportunities to my Team Members and making a meaningful impact on the Lakewood community.”
Team Member Investment
Chick-fil-A franchised Operators are committed to hiring, developing and retaining top talent, and providing a positive 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.
Quality Ingredients; Delicious Food
Chick-fil-A focuses on serving customers great-tasting food made with high-quality ingredients. The produce used in recipes is delivered to kitchens up to six times a week. Salads are made with whole fruits and vegetables that are chopped and prepared fresh throughout the day. Chick-fil-A Lemonade is made from three simple ingredients: lemon juice, sugar and water.
Breaded chicken is pressure cooked in 100%, fully refined peanut oil and 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 Lakewood, visit the Chick-fil-A Lakewood Facebook page.
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.
