Chicken Salad Chain To Open First Sarasota County Restaurant

SARASOTA COUNTY — Chicken Salad Chick is expanding its Southwest Florida footprint with the opening of its first Sarasota County restaurant.

The new restaurant, located at 6650 Fruitville Road, just east of Interstate 75 in the Fruitville Farms shopping center, will celebrate its grand opening on Sept. 29, a news release said.

The event will feature giveaways, specials and an appearance by legendary sports broadcaster Dick Vitale.

The first 100 guests in line on opening day will receive free chicken salad for a year, the news release said.

The first guest will also receive a free large Quick Chick each week for a year, while the next 99 guests will receive one free large Quick Chick each month for a year.

Vitale will appear during the restaurant's Friends & Family events and ribbon-cutting ceremony on behalf of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, a nonprofit founded by ESPN and former North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano to support cancer research.

Guests will have an opportunity to meet Vitale, purchase signed copies of his book and learn more about the annual Dick Vitale Gala, which is scheduled for May 7, to raise money for pediatric cancer research.

The Sarasota restaurant is owned by franchisee Karen Jordan through her company, Manasota Chick LLC.

This is Jordan's third Chicken Salad Chick location. She also owns restaurants in Bradenton and Parrish.

“Opening my third Chicken Salad Chick restaurant is a really exciting milestone for me,” she said in a statement. “My team and I are driven every day by The Chick’s mission to ‘Spread Joy, Enrich Lives, and Serve Others,’ and I can’t wait to bring that same experience to our new guests in Sarasota County.”

Chicken Salad Chick specializes in made-from-scratch chicken salad, with more than a dozen varieties, along with soups, side salads, sandwiches, desserts and catering.

The company now has more than 345 restaurants across 27 states.

The Sarasota location will offer indoor dining, an outdoor patio, takeout, third-party delivery and catering. It will be open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The grand-opening celebration will continue through Oct. 3, with additional giveaways for the first 50 qualifying customers each day.

On Sept. 30, the first 50 customers who purchase a meal with two sides will receive a free 16-ounce Tervis tumbler. On Oct. 1, the giveaway will be a red grocery tote; on Oct. 2, a large Chick Cooler; and on Oct. 3, a free large Quick Chick for a future visit.

Guests hoping to participate in the Sept. 29 free-chicken-salad promotion are encouraged to arrive early. Participants must be at least 16 years old, remain in line, download the Chicken Salad Chick app and make a qualifying purchase after the restaurant opens.

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