Restaurants to Collectively Bring Approximately 250 Full- and Part-Time Jobs to West Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Jan. 7, 2021) – Chick-fil-A® Kalamazoo Main Street and Chick-fil-A Norton Shores, both located in West Michigan, are slated to open on Thursday, Jan. 14. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Idris Rashid as the independent franchised Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Kalamazoo Main Street and Matt Lewis as the independent franchised Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Norton Shores. Rashid and Lewis will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of their respective businesses, including employing approximately 125 full- and part-time Team Members at each restaurant, cultivating relationships with local organizations and neighboring businesses, and serving Guests. The opening of Chick-fil-A Norton Shores will mark the first restaurant to open in Muskegon County, while Chick-fil-A Kalamazoo Main Street will join Chick-fil-A Westnedge (Portage, MI), making it the second restaurant to open in Kalamazoo County.
Chick-fil-A Kalamazoo Main Street is located at 504 N. Drake Rd. and is set to be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Chick-fil-A Norton Shores is located at 5607 Harvey St. and will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
At Chick-fil-A, safe service is our first priority. New Chick-fil-A restaurants will take additional time to review operations and make sure appropriate precautions are in place before opening their dining rooms, to ensure the safety of Guests and Team Members. Currently, Chick-fil-A Kalamazoo Main Street and Chick-fil-A Norton Shores will open via drive-thru only. Guests can take advantage of contactless ordering and payment through the Chick-fil-A mobile app. 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, these two new restaurants have each identified 100 local heroes making an impact in West Michigan and will surprise them with free Chick-fil-A for a year. Additionally, the Chick-fil-A Foundation has partnered with Feeding America to donate $25,000 to a local food bank for every new restaurant opening. To aid in the fight against hunger, the opening of these two restaurants will come along with a combined $50,000 donation to organizations in West Michigan that are doing good work to care for others.
Locally Owned and Operated
Each Chick-fil-A restaurant is a locally owned and operated small business. Chick-fil-A franchise owners live and work in the community in which their restaurants are located and are highly involved in the day-to-day operations at the restaurant. Seeking to make an impact in their local communities, the franchise owners frequently work to support local schools and organizations.
Chick-fil-A Kalamazoo Main Street
Michigan native and Western Michigan University alumni, Rashid began his career with Chick-fil-A in October 2017 as Operator of the neighboring Kalamazoo County restaurant, Chick-fil-A Westnedge, which he will continue to operate alongside Chick-fil-A Kalamazoo Main Street. Prior to joining Chick-fil-A, he worked in operations and logistics for Daimler Chrysler and PepsiCo.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring a new Chick-fil-A to my home state and the community of Kalamazoo,” said Rashid. “As a Western Michigan University Bronco, I am excited to get involved with this community in a new way and develop my Team Members, showing them what makes working at Chick-fil-A so special.”
Chick-fil-A Norton Shores
Lewis’s journey with Chick-fil-A began at age 16 when he joined Chick-fil-A as a Team Member, maintaining this role through his remaining high school years and into college. From there, Lewis joined Chick-fil-A’s Leadership Development program as a Grand Opening Supervisor, which allowed him to travel the country to help open restaurants nationwide. A graduate of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Lewis is excited to be a part of expanding Chick-fil-A’s presence in West Michigan.
"Becoming a Chick-fil-A Operator on the lakeshore is a dream come true for my family and me,” said Lewis. “We are so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this community. I hope that every Guest finds our restaurant to be a place of restoration, genuine care and encouragement."
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 2019 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.
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.
