Chicken Salad Chick, the nation’s only southern inspired, fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today it will be expanding to Arkansas with its newest restaurant in Jonesboro, marking the brand’s first location in the state. The company grew its unit-count by 27 percent in 2017 and is continuing that momentum this year by expanding the concept into four new states including, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky and Missouri. The new Jonesboro restaurant is located at 2821 Parkwood Road near Academy Sports and will celebrate its grand opening on November 5th with six days of giveaways including free chicken salad for a year to the first 100 guests.
During grand opening week, guests will experience the southern hospitality that Chicken Salad Chick is known for, with giveaways and specials that include:
- Monday, November 5 – Free Chicken Salad for a year – The first guest will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year; the next 99 guests receive a free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month. Any guest that makes a purchase and is not part of the first 100 in line can enter a drawing to win free chicken salad for a year.
- Tuesday, November 6 – The first 50 guests at opening and the first 50 guests at 5 p.m. to purchase The Chick will receive a free 32oz. RTIC Chick tumbler.
- Wednesday, November 7 – The first 100 guests to purchase The Chick will receive a free upgrade to a Chick Trio.
- Thursday, November 8 – Thirsty Thursday – The first 50 guests at opening and the first 50 guests at 5 p.m. to purchase The Chick will receive a free large drink and a free Chick koozie.
- Friday, November 9 – The first 50 guests at opening and the first 50 guests at 5 p.m. to purchase The Chick will be automatically enrolled in the Free Chicken Salad of the Month Club. Each guest will receive one free small Quick Chick per month for a year.
- Saturday, November 10 – The first 50 guests to purchase two large Quick Chicks will receive a free large Chick cooler.
The Jonesboro restaurant is owned and operated by first-time Chicken Salad Chick franchisee and Arkansas native Melissa Hardcastle of NEA Chick, LLC. Hardcastle has decades of experience managing operations and business development across a variety of industries including banking, teaching and construction. When deciding to venture into the foodservice industry, Hardcastle searched for concepts that not only had a high-quality product, but a culture that focused on genuine serving. She found the perfect fit with Chicken Salad Chick and plans to open an additional location over the next few years.
“Chicken Salad Chick is truly one of a kind,” says Hardcastle. “The food is top notch, the atmosphere is unbeatable and the corporate team is sincerely passionate. From my first taste of chicken salad to my first company meeting, I immediately felt a connection and knew this is where I belonged. I’m thrilled to be coming home after spending 20 years in Alabama and look forward to introducing my friends and family to a restaurant they soon won’t be able to live without.”
The Chicken Salad Chick concept, born in Auburn, was established in 2008 in the kitchen of founder, Stacy Brown. When Stacy discovered that the local county health department would not allow her to continue making and selling her delicious recipes out of her home kitchen, she overcame that obstacle by launching her first restaurant with the business expertise of her future husband and fellow founder, Kevin Brown. Together, they opened a small takeout restaurant, which quickly grew; the company now has more than 95 restaurants across the Southeast.
Chicken Salad Chick in Jonesboro will be open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
