Crowd assembles at Ammon Chick-fil-A

Your huddled masses, yearning to consume. ... the scene Wednesday morning at the Ammon Chick-fil-A on Hitt Road, which opens Thursday.

The doors of the Ammon Chick-fil-A, at 3003 S. 25^th East, don't open until Thursday, but more than 75 people had already lined up by 6:30 a.m. today despite the single digit temperatures.

The first 100 adults in line when the restaurant opens around 6 a.m. Thursday will win free Chick-fil-A for a year -- 52 coupons, each good for a Chick-fil-A meal (sandwich, fries and drink). The coupons can be used at any Chick-fil-A in the country and can be given to anyone. Many who win the tickets share them with family, friends or donate them to little league teams, civic groups or others who could benefit from free meals, Chick-fil-A spokeswoman Cindy Chapman said.

Today's group includes several people who have participated across the country, including one man from Florida who has been to more than 70 grand openings and two teachers who are skipping school to participate.

Registration has begun and once it’s complete the parking lot will be transformed into an overnight celebration. Chick-fil-A will provide entertainment, security, restrooms and, of course, plenty of food during the countdown. A DJ will be on hand between 1 and 4 p.m. to provide games and music. Later, campers will enjoy Chick-fil-A for dinner and have a chance to watch “The Polar Express” on an outdoor screen before a late-night Chicken Soup party.

The restaurant, in the Teton Spectrum parking lot, is expected to bring with it more than 65 new jobs.

Ammon Chick-Fil-A owners plan Dec. 8 opening

Chick-Fil-A of Ammon is looking at a Dec. 8 opening, say the owners Lauren and Nate Mosteller. The restaurant is located in the old Fazoli's, at 3003 S. 25th East.

Applications are being taken now, and the Mostellers plan to employ 65 people, including a cow mascot. You can apply in the trailer behind the construction site -- Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. -- or online at http://www.snagajob.com.

The Mostellers hope to start interviewing people in early November. The couple moved to Idaho Falls from Georgia earlier this year.

The restaurant's Facebook page address is:
http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=c52c3caa688cc567015910dcc6f0288b&#!/ammoncfa

Lauren Mosteller, who is opening the Ammon Chick-Fil-A with her husband, Nate, and the company's mascot.

Chick-fil-A plans Dec. 8 opening for Hitt Road location

Compared to a few years ago, the proliferation of restaurants around here has slowed to a crawl. Nevertheless, I was curious (as I am sure you were) to find out when Chick-fil-A will be opening at the old Fazoli's location, 3003 S. 25th East (Hitt Road).

The company's Web site (www.chick-fil-a.com) reported Nov. 17, the same day it will be opening locations in Baton Rogue, La.; Fort Worth, Texas; Fullerton, Calif.; and Aurora, Colo., but we have since learned from the franchisee that they are shooting for Dec. 8.
Chick-fil-A dates back to 1946, when S. Truett Cathy started a restaurant called Dwarf Grill (later Dwarf House) in Hapeville, Ga. His brainstorm for the chicken sandwich came from the idea of creating a quick way to serve food to workers at a nearby Ford plant (now demolished). He discovered that pressure cooking the chicken in peanut oil allowed for a fast serving time. The sandwich came with two pickles because that was the only condiment he had in the pantry when he created the sandwich.

Cathy (still the company's chairman) started Chick-fil-A in 1967. For years it was found mainly in shopping mall food courts, but since 1986 it has focused more on free standing and drive-through locations.

In 2010 it reported $3.5 billion in sales. As of September this year it had 1,583 locations in 39 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The Idaho Falls location will be its second in Idaho (the first is in Boise).