The wait is over!

An official opening date is set for Battle Creek's first Chick-fil-A. Since the announcement was first made in March 2021, excitement has been building. What is it about those chicken sandwiches? Just the mere mention of them will work some into a frenzy. Doors will open on February 24th at 6:30 a.m.

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Franchise owner Tyler DeKoekkoek says there were many challenges and delays bringing this labor of love to the Battle Creek area. Construction supply shortages, as well as equipment shortages, were factors. Worker shortages have also impacted the opening date.

Tyler had previously said he worked very closely with Emmett Township and Battle Creek city officials to ensure everything runs smoothly with as few traffic disruptions as possible for neighboring businesses, residents, and those traveling through the area.

What will the opening day look like? Well if the openings in Portage and Kalamazoo are any indication, there will likely be a long but swiftly moving line going for much of the first, if not the first few days.

In early January, Tyler said he was very excited to bring the chicken chain to the area. He was born and grew up nearby and was happy to be bringing his family to his home state.

The location was originally home to Ruby Tuesday's. Ruby Tuesday's closed at the beginning of the pandemic when restaurants across the state were forced to close their doors. It closed so quietly it wasn't until the grass became overgrown that it became known. The building was torn down in November of 2020.

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