Local Chick-fil-A to give away $1,000 a day in free food

Employees will stay on payroll, focus on community service during month-long shutdown

The Chick-fil-A restaurant at 1482 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp. will shut down in late July for reconstruction, but franchise owner Marla Davis has decided to keep her nearly 100 employees on the payroll during the month-long hiatus while they focus on community service and outreach.

“Our goal is to give back to the community that has graciously supported us and made it necessary for our restaurant to expand,” Davis said this morning. “As a team, we will creatively give away $1,000 a day in free food, $30,000 total.”

When news of the $1 million renovation and expansion project and month-long shutdown broke last year, employees were apprehensive about being out of work, Davis said.

“I did not want them to have to go on unemployment,” she said. “I want them to know they’re my team, my family.”

Davis also is the franchise owner of the Chick-fil-A that opened in December at the Cornerstone of Centerville, and the Washington Twp. restaurant’s catering operations will transfer there during the renovations. The Washington Twp. store has the smallest kitchen of any of the Chick-fil-As in Dayton or Cincinnati, but ranks in the top 25 among the chain’s 1,600 restaurants in catering sales, Davis said.

Lauren Weaver, operations director of the Washington Twp. restaurant and Davis’ daughter, said employees are relieved at the decision and have already begun brainstorming outreach ideas.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” Weaver said. “They’re really getting behind the project.”

Those with ideas for outreach projects can email the store at 01535@chick-fil-a.com.

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