Chick-fil-A sets date for opening Columbus Park Crossing restaurant

Fans of Chick-fil-A don’t have much longer to wait for the new restaurant at Columbus Park Crossing.

The 5,000-square-foot eatery at 5520 Whittlesey Blvd., fronting the Kohl’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods stores, is projected to open its doors on Jan. 31. The restaurant, famously known for its fried chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, has been constructed on the site of the former Shogun location, which was torn down over the summer.

Muscogee County property records show Chick-fil-A Inc. purchased the property from Shogun North Inc. last June, paying $3,135,000 for the privilege of constructing a popular restaurant in a heavily trafficked shopping area of the city.

Todd Kalish, who already operates the Bradley Park Drive, is the franchise operator of the new one at Columbus Park Crossing.

In December, the Atlanta-based company used the Columbus Goodwill center to hire the 75 staffers it will need to operate the outlet.

On Jan. 30, the day before it makes its debut, there will be the traditional giveaway of free meals for a year to the first 100 adults in line. The campout promotion typically attracts a crowd of people camping in the parking lot with tents, awnings and the necessities to get them through the night. The Manchester Expressway location that opened last summer allowed campers inside to use its restrooms.

The Columbus Park Crossing restaurant will be the sixth standalone Chick-fil-A in the Columbus area. There also is a food court location at Peachtree Mall.

Chick-fil-A is a privately held restaurant company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. The chain, primarily through the use of managing partners, operates more than 2,200 restaurants in 46 states and Washington, D.C. It posted systemwide sales of nearly $8 billion in 2016, which was the 49th year in a row of sales growth.

This story was originally published January 18, 2018 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Chick-fil-A sets date for opening Columbus Park Crossing restaurant."