Photos: Chick-fil-A Lovers Line Up For Wesley Chapel Opening

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL -- Lugging tents, sleeping bags and coolers, Chick-fil-A lovers lined up in front of the first Wesley Chapel restaurant Wednesday night in anticipation of the opening Thursday, May 2, at 6 a.m.

More than 125 people began lining up 12 hours before the official opening in the restaurant's parking lot at 28295 State Road 54 for a chance to win a year's supply of meals awarded to the first 100 people in line.

Restaurant operator Jim Larreau is partnering with Bridging Freedom to combat domestic minor sex trafficking during the grand opening celebration. The first 100 participants and guests were urged to bring items such as individual craft kits, toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, healthy snacks and gardening seeds to be donated to the organization.

Residents in campers were among the first to arrive to claim their spot to win a year's supply of meals. A block party Tuesday night included Chick-fil-A snacks for all, games with prizes, entertainment and a lip sync contest.

The opening celebration has been a 15-year-tradition for Chick-fil-A, which has given away more than $39 million to selected franchise charities since December 2018.

Larreau is transferring from St. Petersburg’s Chick-fil-A at Tyrone Boulevard where his team earned the Symbol of Success – Chick-fil-A’s highest honor for its operators. Having grown up in the Town ‘n Country area, Larreau began his Chick-fil-A career at age 14, following in his sister’s footsteps. They worked together at the Tampa Bay Mall.

Larreau went onto serve as an interim manager for the company, helping to open locations throughout the country. His hard work and dedication to the brand was recognized when he was awarded the Chick-fil-A at Westshore Plaza in October 2002. He just concluded 21 years of working for the chain, and credits his sister for introducing him to his career. Larreau’s sister now serves as his senior executive director and is part of his leadership team that consists of seven other members who also transferred over with him.

Larreau said he and his wife, DeeDee, are thrilled to work alongside their three children as they open the doors of Wesley Chapel’s first Chick-fil-A restaurant.

“I am honored to serve the Wesley Chapel community both inside and outside of my restaurant,” said Larreau. “I look forward to developing my (120) team members as together we provide a remarkable experience to our guests who become part of our family.”

With the restaurant located off exit 279 on I-75, Larreau knows he will have busy commuter traffic each day, and plans to focus a majority of his training and efforts on providing a welcoming, fast and efficient drive-through experience for his guests.

“I hope to be the quickest Chick-fil-A drive thru in the Southeast,” said Larreau.

The nearly 5,000-square-foot Wesley Chapel restaurant will seat 134 inside and 22 outside. Highlights include a:

• dining room with a vintage-inspired interior, including a large gathering table made from reclaimed wood, light fixtures from recycled Coca-Cola bottles and peach baskets.
• designated inside Chick-fil-A mobile order pick-up counter, as well as the testing of Dine-In Mobile ordering that allows guests to go directly to a table to place their order which will be hand-delivered to their table.
• full-service menu with a variety of healthy and dietary options, including breakfast until 10:30 a.m. The restaurant will open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily except Sundays.
• two-lane drive-thru that features face-to-face ordering, with lanes merging into a single pick-up point.

Simultaneously, a second Chick-fil-A will open Thursday in the Tampa Uptown District at 2811 E. Fowler Ave. Denis Spradlin, who also operates the Temple Terrace restaurant at 5302 E. Fowler Ave., is opening his second location. Along with hiring 70 team members, Spradlin hosted a May 1 First 100 Road Trip where upwards of 100 adults earned a year's supply of Chick-fil-A meals following an all-day event engaging participants in various activities and service stops throughout the local community.

The opening of the Wesley Chapel and Uptown District locations come almost 45 years after Chick-fil-A first arrived in Tampa, opening inside University Mall in August 1974. The restaurants are among 120 new Chick-fil-A restaurants projected to open this year creating more than 10,000 new jobs. Additional information about the Wesley Chapel location can be found on Facebook.