Algonquin Chick-fil-A to open Thursday

Chick-fil-A is headed to Algonquin, officially opening on Randall Road this Thursday.

The new location is at 425 S. Randall Road, which was an Aldi’s before the grocery store moved to 1100 S. Randall Road as part of an expansion.

Algonquin’s Chick-fil-A will be open for drive-thru, carry-out and dine-in service, according to a news release. Through the Chick-fil-A app, customers have contactless ordering and payment options.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chick-fil-A is foregoing its traditional First 100 Grand Opening Celebration, where the first 100 people in line win a free food for a year, according to the company’s website.

Instead, Chick-fil-A identified 100 “local heroes” it says are making an impact in Algonquin and will surprise these people with free Chick-fil-A for a year, according to the release.

Chick-fil-A also partnered with Feeding America to make a $25,000 donation to a local food bank in honor of the new establishment. Funds will be distributed to partners in the greater Chicago area to aid in the “fight against hunger,” the company said in the release.

J.D. Willis, operator of the Chick-fil-A in Crystal Lake, will be the owner of the Algonquin franchise, according to the release.

Willis has been operating the Crystal Lake location since 2015. Now, six years later, Willis is “excited to relocate and extend his impact” as a business owner in Algonquin, he said in a statement.

“For more than six years, my family and I have called McHenry County our home, and I am humbled by the opportunity to continue making a difference in the community that has meant so much to us,” Willis said. “With the opening of Chick-fil-A Algonquin, I look forward to mentoring my team members and showing care for our new neighbors.”

During a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting where the Chick-fil-A was given an unanimous positive recommendation, company representative Jason Hill said the fast-food restaurant industry has learned a lot during, and even before, the COVID-19 pandemic about drive-thru operations and making them more efficient.

He told commissioners that Chick-fil-A’s plans incorporated “the latest and greatest” innovation and thinking around drive-thru operations, giving the company flexibility to have team members either inside or outside the restaurant during peak demand hours.

About 80 full-and part-time people will be employed at the new establishment, which will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Like other Chick-fil-A establishments, it will be closed on Sundays.

Chick-fil-A, based in Atlanta, is known for its chicken sandwich, according to the news release. It has more than 2,600 restaurants in 47 states, with more than 200,000 employees nationwide.

Founded in 1967, the company is family-owned and privately held, according to the release.