McHenry County Blog

No demonstrators.

No lines.

A typical opening day, according to the Atlanta corporate folks.

6 AM was much too early for me to see the providing of the food coupons to the tent city folks that gathered the day before the Grand Opening for the First 100 Promotion.

I learned that the 52 coupons given to each of the first one hundred people in line and on the property for twenty-four house before the restaurant opens are worth about $350.

A lot were local according to Tiffany Greenway, one of the corporate public relations people in Crystal Lake.

It occurs to me that this is something like the Biblical gleaning concept.

In his speech to the Grand Opening gathering, entrepreneur Ben Moore, a Sycamore resident when he was awarded the Crystal Lake franchise, originally thought the 50 minute drive would be acceptable.

But, “My goal is to be part of the community.

“We prayed a lot about it,” he said.

“The Saturday before I went for training, a guy walked up to our house and said, ‘Can I buy your house?’

“Yes, you can,” was the reply.

The family has bought a farm north of Crystal Lake.

Moore said the process of opening the restaurant took three and a half years.

Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gary Reece praise the City management.

“They have now turned the tide and are very welcoming to business,” he said before echoing the “Eat more chicken” slogan of the firm.

Later, Moore affirmed, “Crystal Lake has been great.”

No politicians running for office attended the Grand Opening, but later in the day County Board member Diane Evertsen, who lives northwest of Woodstock, and perhaps others enjoyed a chicken sandwich.

The restaurant is open 6-10, except Sunday, when it is closed.

Just got a call from a friend:

“I’m at Chick-fil-A and I can’t get in the parking lot.

“Cops everywhere.

“Can’t get into drive-though because it’s too long.

“People are parking at Menard’s walking over to get their food and coming back.”

You can tell by driving by Chick-fil-A today that something was up.

The parking lot is filled with tents.

Come to find out people are camped out to get free food.

Chick-fil-A has a tradition of giving the first 100 adult customers (ID required) 52 meal coupons.

As I entered the area, a man asked for my help in retrieving a blue ball that had been thrown off the property.

He said that if he or his son left the designated area, they would be disqualified from receiving the food coupons.

I asked him where he was from.

The answer was Glen Ellyn.

Why was he there?

To help feed his family, he candidly admitted.

He told me he had ten children and he and two over the age of 10 had made the cut to be among the first 100 in line.

And, there was a bonus.

Chick-fil-A feeds the 100 in line (plus 10 alternates) from the time they arrive until Thursday morning right after 6 AM when the coupons are given out.

When they are fed, they walk through the drive-in lane.

People apparently come from far and wide to participate in the camp out.

Then I walked into the restaurant and got the photo you see of personnel training cashiers for tomorrow’s rush.

I found Huntley Don Bond, who had been attracted by the article in the Northwest Herald.

There were lots of Chick-fil-A employees to launch the enterprise.

I got another chance to talk to the entrepreneur heading up the local operation, Ben Moore of Sycamore.

And, with all the talk about discrimination, I had to smile when I saw that the company, owned by Christians, was using S. Rosen to supply its rolls.

A press release from Chick-fil-A:

Sycamore Resident to Open Crystal Lake’s First Stand-Alone Chick-fil-A Restaurant Aug. 9

New Stand-Alone Restaurant on Northwest Highway Creates 73 New Jobs

CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. (Aug. 9, 2012) – Forty-five years after the first Chick-fil-A® restaurant opened in an Atlanta mall, pioneering mall food courts and introducing its signature boneless-breast-of-chicken sandwich, the chain will celebrate the opening of its first stand-alone restaurant in Crystal Lake on Aug. 9 by giving away a free year’s supply of Chick-fil-A to the first 100 adults in line grand opening morning.

Chick-fil-A’s “First 100 Celebration” quickly became a hallmark of each grand opening when the chain first held the event in Arizona in 2003. More than 18 hours before the restaurant opened, the first person arrived and asked where to get in line.

Since then, the chain has given away more than $16 million in free food at almost 600 grand openings.

The parking lot parties attract Chick-fil-A’s loyal customers who come from around the block and across the country equipped with couches, TVs, computers, tents and other gear. Even extreme weather conditions do not dampen the enthusiasm of the participants who often arrive more than 24 hours in advance.

The latest Chick-fil-A First 100 celebration will occur at 4812 Northwest Highway where the chain will award a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A® Meals (52 certificates) to each of the first 100 adults in line, ages 18 and older with identification – which is a total of more than $26,000 in free food.

The line officially opens at 6 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 8, with the free meal cards being awarded Thursday, Aug. 9, sometime between 6 a.m. and 6:10 a.m.

The restaurant will open for business immediately thereafter. If there are more than 100 people by 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug.8, all 100 spots will be determined by raffle. For complete rules, see http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/First-100.

The first stand-alone restaurant in Crystal Lake features the chain’s latest interior and kitchen design, allowing team members to quickly serve customers who dine in, drive-through or request catered orders for larger off-site events.

The restaurant’s design and capacity illustrates the historic shift in consumer habits from 1967 when S. Truett Cathy opened his first Chick-fil-A restaurant inside Greenbriar Mall in Atlanta, to 2011 when the chain opened its 1,000th stand-alone restaurant with the majority of business now coming from customers on the go.

The new restaurant on Northwest Highway is one of 96 locations the chain plans to open across the country in 2012, creating nearly 7,000 new jobs.

Despite the challenging economy, Chick-fil-A continued to grow in 2011, reporting record-setting annual sales of more than $4 billion, representing a 13 percent increase over 2010 and the 44th consecutive year of sales growth since the company began in 1967. Chick-fil-A’s overall growth will continue in 2012 with the projected addition of 79 stand-alone, two malls and 15 licensed locations.

“We are thrilled to follow up a very exciting 2011 where we saw the opening of our 1,000th stand-alone restaurant with continued growth across the country this year,” said Dan T. Cathy, president and COO, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

“Our outstanding franchised Operators and their team members provide both the freshly prepared food and excellent service on both sides of the counter that has our customers asking us to bring Chick-fil-A closer to where they live. In fact, the team at Crystal Lake will be glad to provide a ‘Backstage Tour’ of the new location to restaurant guests.”

Founder Truett Cathy perfected his recipe for a boneless breast-of-chicken sandwich while operating the Dwarf Grill which he opened in Hapeville, Ga., in 1946. The sandwich became the signature menu item when he opened the first Chick-fil-A, and it continues to be the hallmark product of the chain as it has grown to more than 1,642 restaurants in 39 states and Washington D.C.

Opening his first Chick-fil-A restaurant, Ben Moore is relocating from Sycamore, Illinois. Moore is a graduate of Southern Illinois University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation management and an associate’s degree in aviation flight. He served as an airline pilot in Atlanta for more than three years before moving to Sycamore, Ill. Moore and his wife, Laura, have three children and are looking forward to developing relationships in the Crystal Lake community.

“Chick-fil-A has come a long way since Truett opened that first tiny Chick-fil-A restaurant in an Atlanta mall 45 years ago, but one thing has remained constant – our focus on providing top quality food in a friendly neighborhood environment,” said Moore.

“My team members and I share that same commitment at our new Crystal Lake restaurant and can’t wait to welcome and serve all of our new guests.”

The new Crystal Lake Chick-fil-A seats 144 with additional outdoor seating, and has warm colors and wood accents and convenient, award-winning drive-thru service.

The new restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m.

Chick-fil-A offers a completely trans fat-free menu and was among the first national fast-food restaurant chains to do so. In January the chain added grilled Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets as a Kids’ Meal option which, when paired with a fresh fruit cup or Buddy Fruits® Pure Blended Fruit To Go applesauce, is one of the most nutritious children’s meal combinations offered among any major fast-food chain.

To continue meeting a variety of customers’ menu needs, the chain recently launched a new line of desserts that include

• a revamped Fudge Brownie without nuts,
• baked fresh daily Chocolate Chunk Cookie, and
• an Icedream Sundae that can also be coupled with the brownie or cookie. And for a limited time, the chain brought back its
• Peach Shake this summer.

Chick-fil-A continues to win industry accolades including coming out on top of the 2011 Top 10 Excellent Large Fast Food Chains survey by Sandelman & Associates. The food service consumer research firm measured responses from almost 108,000 quick service customers about food quality, customer service and restaurant environment. In addition, Men’s Health “Eat This, Not That” 2012 edition again gave the chain high marks (A-) and named it one of the top two restaurants providing healthier menu options.

Chick-fil-A topped large chain category in Zagat’s 2011 National Fast Food Restaurant Survey that measured the opinions of 6,000 consumers covering 103 chains. With each chain being rated on its quality of food, service and facilities, the survey scored Chick-fil-A first in service and the chargrilled sandwich categories; and second in the areas of food, best drive-thru, most child friendly, and facilities. In 2011, Chick-fil-A also received Consumer Reports Top Chicken Chain for food and service.

For more information on the new Crystal Lake Chick-fil-A visit www.chick-fil-a.com/crystallake.

= = = = =

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is the nation’s second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain (based on sales), with 1,642 restaurants in 39 states and Washington D.C. In 2012,

Chick-fil-A will add 96 new locations around the country, including 79 stand-alone restaurants, two mall restaurants, and 15 licensed locations.

Credited with inventing the boneless breast-of-chicken sandwich and first introducing the chicken nugget concept, Chick-fil-A serves nutritious and freshly prepared food products in mall locations, stand-alone restaurants, drive-thru-only restaurants, Chick-fil-A Dwarf House® and Truett’s Grill® full-service restaurants, and through licensed outlets in college campuses, hospitals, airports, businesses and industrial sites.

Chick-fil-A reached $4 billion in annual sales in 2011, reporting a 7 percent same-store sales increase and a 13 percent increase over 2010 overall sales performance. The record sales marked the 44th consecutive year of sales growth since the company began in 1967.

More information about Chick-fil-A is available on the chain’s websites, located at www.chick-fil-a.com/pressroom , or through Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChickfilA or Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ChickfilA.

The parking lot is striped, but workmen are still at the replacement for Hooters in Crystal Lake (which replaced Hardee’s).

And, what is that replacement?

Kid-friendly Chick-Fil-A.

Knowing that the restaurant was coming to Crystal Lake, I noticed the funny billboards on our trip south this summer.

Holstein cows are shown promoting the eating of chicken.

I would make a guess that the best hamburgers are not made from Holsteins, a cow bred to produce milk, but maybe that’s where they end up when they stop producing enough.

In any event, the billboards were among the highlights of the many miles we drove on Interstates.

Thursday, August 9th, our family will get to see what all the talk is about.

Certainly, the Crystal Lake restaurant will appeal to kids.

There is a playland.

“We’ve very excited to serve everyone in McHenry County,”  Operator Ben Moore told me.

There’s plenty of room to sit down for lunch or dinner.

And, there’s a drive-thru as well.

I wonder if Chicago’s own superhero from the 1970′s–Chickenman–will be at the Grand Opening.

The restaurant is located on Route 14 in Crystal Lake in front of Menard’s and next to the Village Squire.