'Authentic Chick-fil-A experience' coming to Newmarket

Newmarket will soon be getting its own Chick-fil-A, renowned for its chicken sandwiches and waffle fries.

Signs went up for the popular U.S. fast-food chain outlet at the shopping plaza at 1111 Davis Dr., near Leslie Street and Highway 404. Construction is underway for an entirely new building on the site, where a Swiss Chalet was previously located and demolished.

The company confirmed the upcoming location but said it will share the opening date at a later time. 

"Each locally owned and operated Chick-fil-A restaurant creates 80 to 120 jobs in the area. We are excited to join the community and look forward to delivering an authentic Chick-fil-A experience to our guests, serving delicious food with our signature hospitality," the company said. 

The company has 13 locations across Ontario, including in Barrie and Vaughan. It has also started expanding into other provinces, announcing plans for three in Alberta in February, the second province in which the fast-food chain has opened. It has stated plans to grow to 20 locations in Canada by 2025.

“Canadians can look forward to an authentic Chick-fil-A experience at each of our locations: delicious food prepared with high-quality ingredients, served with our signature hospitality,” chief international officer Anita Costello said in a 2022 news release. 

The Newmarket sign advertises for franchising opportunities and the company has previously said it is looking for franchise owner-operators in both Ontario and Alberta.

The fast-food restaurant chain has become the third largest in the United States, now with more than 3,000 locations.

But it has faced controversy and protests in the past, starting in 2012 when CEO Dan T. Cathy made public comments opposing same-sex marriage, and the company’s charitable arm was discovered to be making donations to organizations hostile to LGBTQ rights.

Its charitable arm has said it has stopped donating to such organizations. The company also notes that every time a chain opens in Canada, $25,000 US is donated to Second Harvest to support local non-profit organizations by redirecting potential food waste.

“As Chick-fil-A grows in Canada, so too does their incredible impact for people facing food insecurity,” Second Harvest CEO Lori Nikkel said in a February news release. “What Chick-fil-A has been able to accomplish in Ontario with financial donations to frontline organizations and surplus food redistribution from local restaurants cannot be overstated.”