Local franchise owners Danica Anderson of Oak Creek and Brian Goode of Racine will open Oak Creek and Racine’s first stand-alone Chick-fil-A restaurants on March 10. Wisconsin’s newest Chick-fil-A restaurants will bring more than 160 new jobs, a chance for 100 adults at each restaurant to win free Chick-fil-A meals for a year, and the opportunity for local communities to donate books to Big Brothers Big Sisters (Oak Creek) and Koos for Kids (Racine).

24 hours before the grand openings, family-friendly overnight parties are expected to pop up in the parking lots of Wisconsin’s newest Chick-fil-A restaurants, in Oak Creek at 150 West Town Square Way and in Racine at 5201 Washington Avenue, as guests try to be one of the first 100 adults through the doors at each location to win a year of free Chick-fil-A meals. These community events are open to guests residing in specific zip codes surrounding the restaurants. A complete listing of eligible zip codes and rules can be found on Chick-fil-A’s website.

“My team members and I can’t wait to welcome our guests,” said Anderson. “We’re not just in the chicken business—we’re in the people business. Our goal is to provide a remarkable experience for every customer, every time, by serving food our guests can truly feel good about eating, providing sincere hospitality and being a good neighbor in the Oak Creek community.”

“My team and I are excited to share Racine’s first stand-alone restaurant with the community,” said Goode. “Chick-fil-A has served the Racine community since 1981. Our new stand-alone restaurant on Washington Avenue will serve the same fresh, quality food the Racine community recognizes, and also offer double drive-thru lanes and an indoor playground for local families to enjoy.”

A tradition going back more than 12 years, Chick-fil-A’s “First 100” celebration has given away nearly $27 million in free food through yearend 2015 and continues to be the chain’s signature grand opening event. Rain, snow and extreme temperatures below zero or above 100 do not deter Chick-fil-A fans who arrive with tents, chairs, TVs, computers and other gear.

Each is hoping to win a digital offer card loaded with a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A Meals (52 meals with each consisting of a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, medium Waffle Potato Fries™ and a medium beverage) that will be awarded to the first 100 eligible adults (ages 18 and older with identification) in line when the doors open at 6:00 AM on Thursday, March 10. If more than 100 people are onsite when the line officially opens at 6:00 AM on Wednesday, March 9, a drawing will be held to randomly select the “First 100.” Those chosen will be required to camp out until the grand opening to secure their spot.

Reflecting their desire to quickly have a positive impact on their surrounding communities, Anderson and Goode are inviting all “First 100” participants and customers to participate in a book drive to celebrate each new location. Anderson is collecting new children’s chapter books from March 9 at 6:00 AM to March 10 at 11:00 AM that will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee. Goode is collecting new and gently used children’s books from March 9 at 6:00 AM to March 10 at 9:00 AM for Koos for Kids in Racine.

The donated books will be placed in nearly three-foot tall Book Houses to serve as free library exchanges at Big Brothers Big Sisters and Koos for Kids. The Book Houses, built from reclaimed wood, are donated by the Chick-fil-A Foundation. Last year, Chick-fil-A collected more than 10,000 books from communities coast to coast, which were donated to 89 local organizations in 30 states and Washington, D.C.

The new Oak Creek and Racine Chick-fil-A restaurants each feature:

• two-story interactive indoor play area for children and free Wi-Fi.
• drive-thru service expanded to offer dual drive-thru ordering lanes and screens to enable customers to quickly move into a single lane for payment and pick up.
• dining room with seating for 130 and additional outdoor patio seating.
• LEED-certified design with elements to improve water conservation and energy efficiency, in addition to cardboard and cooking oil back of house recycling.
• full-service menu, including breakfast until 10:30 a.m. and will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and, like all Chick-fil-A locations, will be closed on Sunday.

With the addition of the new Oak Creek and Racine Chick-fil-A locations, Chick-fil-A has grown its presence to five restaurants in Wisconsin, where the chain opened its first restaurant at Racine’s Regency Mall in 1981. Chick-fil-A plans to open an additional restaurant in Madison this year, among 95 new restaurants the chain plans to open across the country in 2016, creating some 8,000 new jobs.