New Chick-fil-A in Machesney Park opens Thursday

December 1, 2021|By Kevin Haas|In Top Stories, Machesney Park, Restaurants
Erika Wild, the Machesney Park Chick-fil-A franchise owner, grew up in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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MACHESNEY PARK — A new Chick-fil-A restaurant is slated to open its doors Thursday morning at the corner of West Lane and North Alpine roads.

The village’s first Chick-fil-A is restaurant No. 2,733 in the national chain, local owner Erika Wild said Wednesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“I am thrilled to bring Chick-fil-A to my hometown and serve my neighbors,” Wild said. “I look forward to giving back to my community and investing in my team members to grow as leaders.”

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Local Chick-fil-A franchise owner Erika Wild, center, surrounded by family and friends, cuts the ribbon Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, on the new Machesney Park Chick-fil-A. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

Wild, who grew up in Rockford, started working for Chick-fil-A as a college student in California about eight years ago. She held a variety of jobs at the restaurant chain, eventually becoming its director of operations of Chick-fil-A veterans and college before taking on this role as the local franchise owner.

“After traveling for about two and a half years with Chick-fil-A corporate to open up restaurants for other operators and run restaurants that don’t have owner/operations, I’m thrilled to be back in my home community of Machesney Park and the Rockford area,” she said.

The restaurant at 1505 West Lane Road will employ about 140 people in full- and part-time jobs. It will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The faith-centered restaurant chain is closed on Sundays

In honor of the opening, Chick-fil-A will donate $25,000 to Feeding America, the company said in a news release. Those funds will be distributed to partner organizations who work to fight hunger in the Rockford area. The Machesney Park Chick-fil-A will also surprise 100 “local heroes” making an impact in the village with free Chick-fil-A for a year.

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This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.