Chick-fil-A a big hit with customers on opening day in O'Hara

Chick-fil-A opened its O’Hara location Thursday, and customers were already lined up in their cars along the Fox Chapel Plaza parking lot eager to satisfy their waffle fries and chicken cravings.

“We had 20 cars waiting in line before the restaurant opened at 9 a.m.,” said Drake Rabon, the restaurant’s manager.

Customers were happy to finally have a Chick-fil-A nearby, after previously having to drive to the North Hills or Monroeville locations to get their fix.

Before the O’Hara location opened, Nicole Mlinarcik of Springdale said she would only go to Chick-fil-A once every two months because of the long drive. The 25-year-old said she had been anticipating the O’Hara location after recently seeing a Facebook post about it.

“I knew the line would be crazy, so I wanted to make sure to come early to get lunch for my boyfriend,” she said.

The new location is good for Timothy Bowser, who works in Blawnox. The 60-year-old said he hopes to also see a location someday in Kittanning, where he lives.

“I was lucky to get Chick-fil-A once or twice a year, so this is a great thing,” Bowser said.

Township police monitored traffic around the plaza to direct cars and prevent anyone from blocking Freeport Road or the plaza’s entrances. To ensure smooth traffic flow, signs were posted around the parking lot to direct customers who were picking up orders or ordering through drive-thru. As many as four employees were assisting customers in the drive-thru to keep cars moving along while others delivered curbside orders.

Despite the busy first day, Rabon was happy to see customers’ excitement about the new location.

“This is exciting for the community to have,” he said. “We are super grateful for this.”

The restaurant posted on Facebook its hours being 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Following the company’s faith-based policy, it will be closed Sundays.

Customers can order through the drive-thru, the mobile Chick-fil-A app for curbside pick up or a third-party app (Uber Eats or DoorDash).