News

Restaurant to Bring Approximately 85 Full- and Part-Time Jobs to Community

LADERA RANCH, Calif. (Oct. 11, 2021) – A new Chick-fil-A® restaurant is slated to open for business in Ladera Ranch on Thursday, Oct. 14. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Mark Howery as the independent franchised Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Ladera. Howery will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing approximately 85 full- and part-time Team Members, cultivating relationships with local organizations and neighboring businesses, and serving guests. Chick-fil-A Ladera is located at 27712 Antonio Pkwy., near the intersection of Windmill Avenue and Antonio Parkway, and will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Chick-fil-A remains committed to serving guests safely. Chick-fil-A Ladera will open for drive-thru service only. Guests can take advantage of contactless ordering and payment through the free Chick-fil-A® App or 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 Ladera will be surprising 100 local heroes making an impact in Ladera Ranch 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 Orange County area to aid in the fight against hunger.

Locally Owned and Operated

Chick-fil-A Ladera is locally owned and operated by Mark Howery. A California native, Howery grew up in Orange County and attended Long Beach State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. Over the years, Howery grew his service industry experience working at Disneyland and various restaurants in the Orange County area. Throughout this time, Howery was encouraged to pursue career opportunities with Chick-fil-A by a local franchise owner. Inspired by Chick-fil-A’s great-tasting food and hospitality, Howery applied to the Franchisee Selection Program and was selected to become a Chick-fil-A Operator in Fullerton, Calif., in 2011, and after a few years in this role, he started a new position as the Operator of Chick-fil-A Laguna Niguel. After serving the Laguna Niguel community for more than seven years, Howery is thrilled to extend his impact on Orange County, operating both Chick-fil-A Ladera and Chick-fil-A Laguna Niguel. Alongside his wife, Heather, and their two children, Howery is excited to welcome and serve the Ladera Ranch community.

“I’ve called Orange County home my entire life, and I am humbled by the opportunity to continue making a difference in the community that has meant so much to me,” said Howery. “With the opening of Chick-fil-A Ladera, I look forward to bringing new jobs to Ladera Ranch, mentoring my Team Members and serving our neighbors great-tasting food with Chick-fil-A’s signature hospitality.”

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 Ladera, visit the Chick-fil-A Ladera Facebook page 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.

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