ROSEVILLE, Calif. — A new Chick-fil-A opened Thursday morning in Roseville on Blue Oaks Boulevard.
There's another Chick-fil-A, about three miles away, already in the community on Pleasant Grove. Ben Lavin is the owner and operator of both franchised locations.
Lavin began working at Chick-fil-A in 1998 as a restaurant team member. He eventually worked his way up the ladder, becoming the owner and operator of Chick-fil-A Pleasant Grove in 2004.
Most Chick-fil-A restaurants are owned and operated by a single person. These are small business owners, working in their very own restaurants and leading team members and other employees.
Lavin is responsible for serving guests and handling all day-to-day activities at Chick-fil-A Blue Oaks. That includes employing about 80 full-time and part-time workers.
“I not only want to serve our guests, but also invest in our team members," Lavin said. "They are the heartbeat of our restaurant."
He's also responsible for building relationships with local organizations and businesses, as well as tailoring philanthropic efforts to meet the needs of the community. The new Chick-fil-A is already giving back in a major way. That includes partnering with more than 40 local schools to support teachers and families.
“When I moved to Roseville, I was so excited to serve the Sacramento area and to care for the families who chose to dine with us," Lavin said. "Now, nearly 20 years later, I continue to be driven by my desire to serve guests and community members."
The restaurant is also donating $25,000 to Feeding America to support the Placer Food Bank and giving food to other groups to help fight hunger in the region. It's all part of the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program. It's an initiative redirecting surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits in need. To date, more than 30 million meals have been created from Chick-fil-A Shared Table donations from over 2,200 Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Usually, when a new Chick-fil-A opens, the first 100 customers get free food. Instead, Chick-fil-A Blue Oaks honored 100 local 'unsung heroes' by offering them free meals for a year.
Chick-fil-A Blue Oaks is open for dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out and third-party delivery from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It joins more than 10 other Chick-fil-A restaurants serving the Greater Sacramento region and surrounding area.
