Chick-fil-A, the nation’s second-largest chicken restaurant chain (based on sales), will open its newest In-Line restaurant concept in metro Atlanta on August 7 in the Terminus development in Buckhead, where $26,000 in free Chick-fil-A food will be given away to the first 100 adults in line that morning.

A one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A Meals (52 coupons) will be awarded to each of the first 100 adults, age 18 and older with identification, at the new restaurant at 3280 Peachtree Street at the corner of Peachtree and Piedmont in Buckhead. The line can begin forming up no earlier than 6 p.m., Wednesday, August 6, 12 hours prior to the opening, with the prizes being given away on August 7 at 6 a.m. The restaurant will open immediately afterward.

The First 100 Fans promotion was launched in 2003 to mark the opening of the chain’s first stand-alone restaurant in Arizona. Nearly five years later, the event continues to draw Chick-fil-A raving fans from all over the country. Armed with tents, computers, games and even swimming pools, campers turn the grand opening event into an all-night tailgate party.

“When we started the First 100 Fans promotion we were stunned when someone arrived 18 hours in advance and asked where he could wait in line,” says Chick-fil-A Inc. President Dan Cathy, who has camped out at dozens of openings. “Almost five years later, we’ve given away more than $7 million in free Chick-fil-A food across the country to raving fans who’ve braved snow, wind, rain, and triple-digit temperatures to help us celebrate the opening of each new Chick-fil-A.”

Chick-fil-A grand openings attract fans from around the country with some traveling many hours and hundreds of miles from several states away to take part in the festivities. At the chain’s most recent metro-Atlanta opening, more than 100 fans were waiting in Cumming when registration for the promotion began 24 hours before the opening.

The new in-line Chick-fil-A restaurant is located at Terminus 100 and is well-suited for business and residential customers in the heart of Buckhead. Chick-fil-A’s newest In-Line concept has debuted in Dallas, metro-Philadelphia, metro-Washington, D.C., Raleigh, North Carolina, and other markets where property may be at a premium.

As consumer lifestyles continue to evolve, the In-Line concept allows the chain to further customize the dining experience based on a specific location where traffic is high but limited space does not allow for the traditional stand-alone concept.

“We’re excited about this new design which will enable us to better meet our customers’ needs in areas where property is limited,” Cathy says. “Buckhead is an ideal market to continue this concept in Atlanta based on area demographics and our strong brand awareness in our hometown.”

The new restaurant concept incorporates Chick-fil-A’s restaurant interior design that includes warmer colors, a variety of imported glass tiles and wood veneers. Chick-fil-A has added several other upgrades to the restaurant’s dining look that will make the experience even more pleasurable and further separate it from its quick-service competitors.

Daniel Lomax, a Buckhead resident, will serve as interim operator of the new Chick-fil-A restaurant at Terminus. Lomax’s Chick-fil-A career includes previous stints at an interim operator and general manager at Chick-fil-A restaurants in Atlanta and across the country.

“Since its first chain restaurant opened more than 40 years ago, Chick-fil-A has become synonymous with freshly prepared food and ‘my pleasure’ customer service,” Lomax says. “My team and I are eager to continue that legacy at Buckhead’s newest location.” The new restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m. each day.

The new Chick-fil-A restaurant at Terminus will include several new menu enhancements rolled out chain wide in May. These include a new Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken and Fruit Salad with Harvest Nut Granola topping as well as the new Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips that are 50 percent larger than the previous offerings and are complemented by a new proprietary dipping sauce called Chick-fil-A Sauce. The Chick-fil-A Chicken Salad Sandwich also has undergone a makeover and is now served on a new premium wheatberry bread with green leaf lettuce. The chain’s Cool Wraps selections now come in a new multi-grain flatbread.