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Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc., a family owned and privately held restaurant company, will open its first Tri-Valley eatery Thursday next to the I-580 and Hopyard Road intersection at 5785 Johnson Drive in Pleasanton.
The first 100 people in line will receive free Chick-fil-A for a year, a company tradition going back 13 years. In that time, Chick-fil-A has given away nearly $27 million in free food as it continues the chain’s signature grand opening event.
Company spokeswoman Adriana Desiderio said that during grand openings at other locations, fans began lining up 24 hours in advance of the opening hour.
“Here, more than 70 adults have already arrived to camp out at our Hopyard Road and 580 location in Pleasanton hoping to win free Chick-fil-A for a year,” Desiderio said Wednesday morning. “Fans are in for a sunny, cool day as they camp outside the restaurant. Campers will be fed all day, entertained with activities and enjoy a DJ tonight.”
The Pleasanton restaurant occupies a 5,300-square-foot building with a dining room that seats 116, outdoor seating for 40 and a two-story interactive indoor play area for children and free Wi-Fi. It also features dual drive-thru ordering lanes and screens to enable customers to quickly pay and pick up.
Open Mondays through Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., it offers a full-service menu, including breakfast until 10:30 a.m. Like all Chick-fil-A locations, it will be closed on Sundays.
The Pleasanton franchise is owned by Aaron Clifford, who was raised on a Northern California strawberry and raspberry farm. He remembers coming to Pleasanton often as a child. where his family would sell berries at the Farmers Market. After receiving a degree in business management, he worked in construction before joining the Chick-fil-A organization.
The Pleasanton Chick-fil-A and its 100 employees are also inviting customers to celebrate the new location by participating in a children’s book drive for a local organization.
Clifford is collecting new and gently used children’s books from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and asks that donated books be placed in a “Book House” at the restaurant to serve as a free library exchange.
Since 2014, Chick-fil-A has collected more than 27,000 children’s books which have been donated to 162 local organizations in 37 states and Washington, D.C.
