Droves of customers lined up on Thursday for the grand opening of Leesburg’s first standalone Chick-fil-A.
Located at 9925 U.S. Hwy. 441, the restaurant is between Lake Sumter State College and Lake Square Mall, appealing to both shoppers and students nearby.
On Thursday, both inside and outside of the new Chick-fil-A, steady lines of cars and customers waited to get chicken nuggets, sandwiches, and all the other favorites from the fast food chicken chain.
The new restaurant will feature “Mobile Thru,” a fully dedicated lane in the drive-thru where guests can pick up orders placed ahead of time on the Chick-fil-A App.
The Leesburg location is owned and operated by Eric Johnson, who worked in the banking industry for two decades before taking ownership of his first Chick-fil-A in 2008.
“As I relocate to Leesburg, my vision of success is bigger than running a business – it’s about creating an atmosphere that is guided by genuine care and hospitality, echoing the values I’ve upheld throughout my career,” said Johnson in a statement issued by the company. “I am eager to open my restaurant in the heart of the community and create opportunities for my Team Members and Guests to thrive together. We can’t wait to serve you, Leesburg.”
The Chick-fil-A in Leesburg is the first standalone location in the city. It is near multiple other fast food restaurants in the area, including Taco Bell, Arby’s, and McDonald’s.
Before Chick-fil-A opened its first location in Leesburg opened, the locations nearest to the city were in Mount Dora, The Villages, and Clermont.
Chick-fil-A, Inc. is the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States. There are more than 3,000 restaurants across North America, with plans to expand into Europe and Asia in the coming years.
UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the new Chick-fil-A in Leesburg as the first in the city. The first Chick-fil-A in Leesburg was located at 10401 US Highway 441, within the mall.
