Chick-fil-A breaks ground in Orland Park

By Bob Bong

Southland Savvy

Chick-fil-A, a fast-food staple throughout the South, is finally answering the pleas of its Chicagoland fans and is breaking ground this week on the chain’s first two locations near the Windy City.

Ground was broken today at 156th Street and LaGrange Road in Orland Park for what will be the chain’s second restaurant in the Chicago area when it opens in September. A groundbreaking ceremony is set for tomorrow in Aurora at what will be the chain’s first Chicago-area eatery when it opens in August. A third restaurant is planned to open in October in Wheaton.

“Our fans in Chicago have been vocal about wanting Chick-fil-A here,” said Dan Cathy, president and chief operating officer of the chain. “Fans here have even posted videos on YouTube as part of their campaigns for us to open in Chicago.”

Kevin Bulmann, of Cincinnati, who will be the owner/operator of the Orland Park restaurant when it opens, is no stranger to Orland Park.

“I have lots of family in Orland Park,” Bulmann said, pointing out his aunt who attended today’s groundbreaking. “It’s her birthday.”

“I spent most of my summers as a youth in Orland Park,” Bulmann said. “I cut a lot of grass here.”
Bulmann said he will turn over his Cincinnati store to Chick-fil-A when the Orland Park store is ready to open.

“I’m going to move here and be a part of this great community,” he said.

Bulmann said the Orland restaurant would be about 4,600-square-feet, and have 122 indoor seats, half-a-dozen outdoor patio seats, and a playland for children.

The restaurant will bring 60 to 80 jobs to the area, he said. Hiring will begin in early August. “We’ll have a trailer on site for applications,” he said.

Chick-fil-A’s Brenda Green said the chain is planning an aggressive push into the Chicago area in 2011. The chain plans to open 20 to 25 restaurants in the Chicago area over the next five years.

“We’re planning 10 percent of our new restaurants in 2011 will open in the Chicago area,” she said.

The chain is opening 78 restaurants this year and has nearly 1,500 locations in 38 states.