Year of free Chick-fil-A meals on campout menu at new restaurant

It’s time to break out the camping gear for the upcoming “First 100” celebration party that will take place the day before the new Chick-fil-A restaurant opens at Columbus Park Crossing. Up for grabs is a year of free meals.

The campout tradition, now in its 14th year, will take place starting at 6 a.m. next Tuesday. That’s the day before the Chick-fil-A makes its debut at 5520 Whittlesey Blvd., which directly fronts Dick’s Sporting Goods and the Kohl’s department store.

“I am excited to continue expanding Chick-fil-A in Columbus as it enables me to be a part of my guests’ lives by not only serving them at our restaurant, but also on the other side of our doors as well,” said Todd Kalish, the franchise operator of the eatery known best for its classic fried chicken sandwich and waffle fries. “It is my passion to also positively impact my 85 new restaurant team members with opportunities for personal growth and leadership development while encouraging them to continue their education.”

Kalish also operates the Chick-fil-A restaurant at 1600 Bradley Park Drive, which opened its doors in 1999. After operating a location in the Indianapolis area for several years, he relocated his family to Columbus nearly a decade ago to purchase the Bradley Park Drive outlet. It is less than two miles from the new one, which also is in a very heavily trafficked area of the city.

Franchise operator is a highly selective position, with Chick-fil-A receiving nearly 30,000 applications each year for 120 new franchise locations that do business six days a week, closing on Sundays per the wishes of the late founder S. Truett Cathy. However, in 2018, the chain expects to open 140 new locations nationwide.

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A and its operators also have emphasized philanthropic efforts through the years, the company said. The “First 100” campout itself has given away more than $34 million, while the chain has donated more than 57,000 books to 325 local organizations in 45 states and the nation’s capital just since 2014. Kalish, with the opening of the new restaurant, plans a book drive that is to benefit Easterseals.

Chick-fil-A and its operator-partners also are investing in their employees, the company said, with it having launched the “Remarkable Futures” scholarship program in 2017, with $9 million awarded altogether to employees last year. That included four at Kalish’s Bradley Park Drive eatery. Overall, 30 scholarships have been awarded to Kalish’s staff through the years, including 18 at his Bradley Park location.

However, at the Columbus Park Crossing Chick-fil-A, it all begins with the “First 100” party on Tuesday, and there are some rules to the day- and night-long event that will include games, dancing and food. It officially starts at 6 a.m. in the parking lot. If there are more than 100 people at the site at that time, a drawing will take place to “randomly select” 100 adults who are at least 18 years old. A valid ID with a zip code listed on it is required for participants. That’s because each Chick-fil-A campout is open only to those in the local market and its zip codes.

Those who remain at the campout until around 5:45 a.m. on Jan. 31 — grand opening morning — will receive a digital card with a year of free Chick-fil-A meals. That’s 52 meals consisting of a chicken sandwich, medium waffle potato fries and medium beverage.

This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Year of free Chick-fil-A meals on campout menu at new restaurant."