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Food News
Newark is welcoming its first-ever Chick-fil-A location this Fall, bringing signature chicken sandwiches and its popular dipping sauce to the region. The new restaurant is under construction at 2 Clay Street on Broadway, on the former site of a Burger King. The location was approved by Newark’s Central Planning Board in 2024 following a public meeting that drew objections from LGBTQ+ advocates. The company has yet to share an exact opening date, but it is already looking to start hiring staff for the location. Read on for the latest about Chick-fil-A opening in Newark.
About Chick-fil-A
The famous chicken spot began as a small business in 1946, originally named The Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia. Founder Samuel Truett Cathy saw the restaurant prosper for years with his signature hand-breaded, pressure-cooked chicken sandwiches. The business later rebranded to Chic-fil-A in 1967 and opened its first location inside Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall.
Today, Chick-fil-A’s menu has the same chicken that started it all in the 1940s but has now expanded to include nuggets, wraps, salads, and breakfast items. It also has crispy waffle potato fries, a vast selection of blended drinks such as the frosted lemonade, and sweet treats like the chocolate fudge brownie.
Read More: A Bagel Shop with a CYO Cream Cheese Bar is Now Open in Montclair
New Jersey is home to around 70 operating Chick-fil-A locations, with Newark being the most recent addition.
The Newark Location
The franchise is currently looking to hire between 60 and 80 full- and part-time jobs as it is gearing up for a slated Fall opening. It will open about two years after the Newark Central Planning Board approved a site plan for the location. The unanimous approval brought criticism and protests from LGBTQ+ community members and leaders, who pointed to the franchise’s history of supporting anti-LGBTQIA groups.
Several advocates voiced their objection following the Board’s approval of the site, including Citi Medina, co-founder of Equal Space.
“As an advocate and person who lives in this city, it’s truly hurtful to me that during Pride Month we would consider an organization like Chick-fil-A to come into our city,” Medina said, citing the company’s “longtime history of anti-LGBTQ+ practices.”
Brian Madalion, Chick-fil-A’s restaurant operator for Newark, also runs a franchise location in Atlanta, Georgia. He told NJ.com that he intends to make this chicken spot a gathering place for the community while supporting employees’ career goals.
“Giving back to the community is something that I’ve always been passionate about, and I’m eager to watch this restaurant transform into a gathering place for the people of Newark,” Brian told NJ.com.
The restaurant is expected to span 2,936 square feet and will include two drive-thru lanes.
The Montclair Girl has reached out to Chick-fil-A for further information and will update this piece when we hear back.
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