New York doesn’t have The Big Chicken.
But it’s about to get a really big Chick-fil-A.
Flashing a little pluck with the cluck, the Atlanta-based chain plans to open a three-level, 5,000-square-foot restaurant at the corner of Sixth Avenue and W. 37th Street in Manhattan in late summer, Crain's New York Business reported.
It will be the company’s first freestanding restaurant in the city, although there is a small outlet in a New York University campus food hall.
“This location will allow us to serve fans who have been asking us to come to New York and to earn the opportunity to serve new customers,” said Carrie Kurlander, vice president of public relations. The company is looking to add more New York stores this year and next.
While it’s hard to imagine New Yorkers will be able to resist Chick-fil-A’s charms, there could be a period of cultural adjustment.
As Southerners know, the restaurant won’t be open Sundays. So scratch the brunch option.
There’s also the matter of how well the company will be received by New York’s LGBT community.
Anti-same-sex marriage comments made by Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy three years ago ignited controversy when the chain was looking to move into Boston.
“We hope that Chick-fil-A’s planned entrance to New York City comes with a side of LGBT-inclusivity and a newly-thought strategy for supporting ventures that are equality friendly,” said Nathan Schaefer, executive director of Empire State Pride Agenda.
About the Author
