Chick-fil-A held the grand opening of its new North Augusta location on Edgefield Road, near Exit 5, Thursday morning.
A crowd gathered as Fox Creek High School cheerleaders and the Junior Navy ROTC Drill Team ushered attendees into the celebration. The ceremony kicked off at 9:30 a.m., and while doors didn’t officially open until 10:30 a.m., but amid presentations, staff distributed free chicken sandwiches to tide over guests.
Representatives from the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce were among the visitors, and North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams was the first customer.
The new building is what franchise owner and manager Jon Dawkins refers to as a P14, the 14th design of the chicken restaurant locations. It includes a separate drive-thru lane designated for mobile orders, and food production areas hidden from guests behind a wall.
“I think Chick-fil-A is always about convenience,” Dawkins said. “And we want to be convenient for our guests.”
The restaurant broke ground on the location over the summer, after announcing it in March. Construction went mostly on schedule, with the fast-food eatery opening only a week after its initially scheduled Nov. 2 date.
Dawkins also owns the Chick-fil-A five miles away on Knox Avenue, which has been open for 20 years. A location along the burgeoning Exit 5 corridor has been on the franchisee’s radar for at least 10 of those years, he said.
“This area has grown so much. So many people that live up here now and pass through,” Dawkins said, noting that customers had been inquiring about a spot on Edgefield Road for the better part of a decade. “Everybody’s been asking, so it’s exciting to say, here we are. You got what you asked for.”
Chick-Fil-A is located at 1065 Edgefield Road, near its intersection at Walnut Lane.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
