'A fresh Chick-fil-A prototype' opens in Leesburg this week. Here's what to expect

People of all ages get excited when a new Chick-fil-A opens up in their town, and Leesburg is no exception. The company is opening a location this week on U.S. 441 in the Lakefront City.

Located east of Lake-Sumter State College at the site of a former Chili's and Mojo's Grill, the new location has been described as "a fresh Chick-fil-A prototype" by the franchise's operator, Eric Johnson, who shared with Florida Food and Beverage that he operated a bustling Chick-fil-A near Universal Studios for more than 15 years. His time there ended on Feb. 29.

Johnson spoke with the Daily Commercial by phone this week and described the location's design as "Prototype P-14."

The newly built 6,000-square-foot store in Leesburg, constructed by W.H. Bass, an employee-owned contracting business, sits on a 2-acre lot and will have two drive-thru lanes.

"It's called a P-14, that's in our language, simply because there's been 14 different evolutions of this design," Johnson explained. "We are opening a double drive-thru that wraps all the way around the property. It has what you would call a stack. ... We won't end up in a lot of situations where we've been in some communities, where we have overflow and it ends up into the parking areas and areas of businesses or transportation."

According to Johnson, customers can pull in, open the Chick-fil-A app, scan it, and then just drive through, pick up their food and go.

"The convenience factor will be really high," he said.

The outer right lane will be designated for people who have ordered ahead on their cellphones using the Chick-fil-A app. The inside left lane will function as a traditional drive-thru.

Johnson also said that the dining room will be quieter than those of other fast-food restaurants, separate from the busy kitchen, allowing guests to dine while conducting meetings or computer-work time, made possible by the business's free Wi-Fi.

The new Chick-fil-A in Leesburg, 9925 U.S. 441, will hold its grand opening on Thursday, and will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

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A favorite fast-food stop

Numerous industry articles credit Chick-fil-A's deliberate and strategic attention to customer service. From its perpetually friendly clerks in headphones at the drive-thru to its record of accuracy, the chain has scored high in customer satisfaction surveys.

According to a USA Today report, Chick-fil-Ahas an 85 satisfaction score, up 2% from last year. The American Customer Satisfaction Index recently released best fast-food restaurants based on customer satisfaction and feedback.

Founded by S. Truett Cathy — a devout Christian who wanted to have his business closed on Sundays so that his workers could rest and worship if they wanted to do so — the company operates with the purpose “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us.”

Since opening its first location in Hapeville, Georgia, in 1946, the Cathy family has been at the helm, and their third generation leads the company today.

Also, according to its website, Chick-fil-A Inc. offers qualified people the opportunity to operate a single Chick-fil-A franchised restaurant. Anonymous investors overseeing multiple locations across different markets don't exist at Chick-fil-A.

"One operation is enough for an operator with the responsibilities of meeting the needs of the community and be involved in community," Johnson stressed.

Meeting the needs of the community

In celebration of the opening, Chick-fil-A Inc. has donated $25,000 to Feeding America. Johnson’s restaurant also plans to 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.

"Between what we call family nights or spirit nights, we do random acts of kindness, different events that happen in the local community," Johnson said.

"We work with what we call 'community heroes.' We honor first responders through different involvements with the police and the firemen and their associations. We also have the Airport Authority, which is close by, and then all the schools and retreat centers in our market here in the Leesburg area."

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: New Leesburg Chick-fil-A to open Thursday on U.S. 441