Photo by Sarah Gilliland.
Chick-fil-A opened a new location on Valleydale Road on May 2.
The new Chick-fil-A on Valleydale Road opened for business on May 2, a day that owner-operator Mark Meadows has been looking forward to.
“I began my career with Chick-fil-A while attending Samford University in Birmingham, and I am thrilled to continue serving my hometown in a greater capacity,” he said.
Meadows continued, “I have had the pleasure of owning and operating my own business here in the Birmingham area for the last 35 years, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to open a second restaurant, which will serve as a new and exciting challenge for me.”
In 1989, Meadows opened the first freestanding Chick-fil-A in the state.
“Since day one, my vision has been to serve the delicious food that our guests know and love while providing a warm and welcoming environment for everyone,” he said. “We want to continue creating a culture of genuine care and making a positive impact on everyone that we encounter, from our team members to guests. For me, this is the most rewarding part of being a local owner-operator and the impact that we can make in the community,”
Meadows has another connection to the franchise. His wife, Kim, is the great-niece of Chick-fil-A’s founder, S. Truett Cathy. Meadows’ new restaurant on Valleydale Road also connects to the company’s original roots — it doesn’t have a drive-thru.
“While we don’t have a drive-thru, we are excited to provide convenient options for our guests to dine in with us or place an order for pick-up via carry-out and curbside delivery,” Meadows said.
Meadows intends to hire 60 full-time and part-time employees at his Valleydale location, in addition to supporting the local community through philanthropic efforts that the brand is known for.
To mark the restaurant’s opening, Chick-fil-A donated $25,000 to Feeding America to support local hunger relief efforts of the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. The Valleydale Road location will also participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, an initiative that redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits in need.
“In celebration of our opening, we recognized 100 local firefighters and nonprofit leaders making a difference in the Hoover area by providing them with free Chick-fil-A entrees for a year. I can’t wait to continue giving back to the community for many years to come,” Meadows said.
Operating hours are Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The new restaurant is located at 5331 Valleydale Road, in front of the Kohl’s in the Inverness Plaza shopping center.
