Chick-fil-A Pine Bluff, 5701 S. Olive St., opens for business Thursday, bringing 100 full-time and part-time jobs to the community, according to a press release.
The restaurant will be open for dine-in, drive-thru and carry-out from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Katie Branch, the local owner/operator, said she is looking forward to serving the Pine Bluff community, according to a news release.
In honor of the opening, Chick-fil-A will donate $25,000 to Feeding America to support local hunger relief efforts of the Arkansas Foodbank. Chick-fil-A Pine Bluff will also participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table Program that redirects surplus food from the restaurant to nonprofits in need.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
In addition, Chick-fil-A Pine Bluff is recognizing 100 local heroes making an impact in the Pine Bluff area, by providing them with free Chick-fil-A entrées for a year, according to the release.
The Pine Bluff location joins more than 20 other Chick-fil-A restaurants serving Central Arkansas.
In Pine Bluff, Branch will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing approximately 100 team members, serving guests and cultivating relationships with local organizations and businesses.
An Arkansas native, Branch is originally from a small town in the Arkansas Delta about 30 miles from Pine Bluff. She has fond childhood memories of visiting Pine Bluff with her family and friends for the city’s shops, restaurants and entertainment and is honored to have the opportunity to return to the area, according to the release.
After two decades of leadership experience in the IT field, Branch decided to pivot industries and pursue a career with Chick-fil-A where she could make a positive impact on her team members and the local community. She said she looks forward to leaning into her passion for entrepreneurship and mentoring young professionals. In her spare time, Branch enjoys spending quality time with her husband, son and two daughters.
“I am thrilled to open my first Chick-fil-A restaurant in a community that means so much to me and my family,” Branch said. “My goal is for our restaurant to provide genuine hospitality and care for our guests, pour into my team members to help them reach their highest potential, and invest in the great city of Pine Bluff so we are a beacon of light in the community.”
Branch’s restaurant will plan 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. To date, more than 23 million meals have been created from Chick-fil-A Shared Table donations from nearly 2,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada.
For details on Chick-fil-A Pine Bluff, visit the Facebook page, follow on Instagram or visit www.chick-fil-a.com.