Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick, touted as the nation\u2019s only fast-casual chicken salad\u00a0restaurant concept, is ready to celebrate the grand opening of its newest location in Cape Coral. The celebration will kick off April 29, with multiple days of giveaways and specials. The Cape location is owned and operated by multi-unit franchise owners Scott Pace and Kendal Potesta. PROVIDED<\/p>\n
Craving some\u00a0chicken\u00a0salad\u00a0with a twist?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick, touted as the nation\u2019s only fast-casual\u00a0chicken\u00a0salad\u00a0restaurant concept, is ready to celebrate the grand opening of its newest location in Cape Coral. The celebration will kick off April 29, with multiple days of giveaways and specials, including free\u00a0chicken\u00a0salad\u00a0for a year for the first 100 guests.<\/p>\n
Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0of Cape Coral is owned and operated by multi-unit franchise owners Scott Pace and Kendal Potesta. The husband-and-wife duo opened their first Chicken Salad Chick\u00a0back in 2022 in Fort Myers and have since opened up two more locations in Southwest Florida, including Estero and Port Charlotte.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are thrilled,\u201d Potesta said of the new location. \u201cCape Coral has always been top of our list, so we were so excited to finally find the perfect spot there and be open in time for Mother\u2019s Day, which sees one of our biggest promotions of the year. I mean, we\u2019re just over the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cape Coral will mark their fourth location to open. Potesta grew up in the restaurant industry, while Pace brings a strong financial background from his years working on Wall Street. Together, their\u00a0business experience and shared passion for \u201cspreading joy, enriching lives, and serving others\u201d helps them deliver outstanding customer service at each of their restaurants.<\/p>\n
During the grand opening celebration, guests can expect to experience the Southern hospitality for which\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0is known while taking advantage of various specials and giveaways. These include:<\/p>\n
\u2022 April 29 \u2013 Free\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0for a Year\u00a0to the First 100 Guests\u00a0\u2013 The first guest in line at 10 a.m. will receive one free large Quick\u00a0Chick\u00a0of\u00a0chicken\u00a0salad\u00a0per week for an entire year. The next 99 guests in line will receive one free large Quick\u00a0Chick\u00a0of\u00a0chicken\u00a0salad\u00a0per month for a year<\/p>\n
\u2022 April 30 \u2013 The first 50 guests to purchase an entree with two sides will receive a free Teal\u00a0Chick\u00a0Cooler<\/p>\n
\u2022 May 1 \u2013 The first 50 guests to purchase an entree with two sides will receive a free Navy Canvas Tote Bag<\/p>\n
\u2022 May 2 \u2013 The first 50 guests to purchase an entree with two sides will receive a free Teal Stainless Steel Tumbler<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a unique promotion we only do at grand openings,\u201d Potesta said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great, exciting day. The people that lined up for previous openings all came overnight the night before. By the time we get there, there\u2019s already a big line going. It\u2019s a lot of fun. There\u2019s a lot of giveaways and a lot of fun during the day. There are a lot of prizes and additional secret prizes that happen throughout the period. But the entire week we have giveaways for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0is known for its dozen-plus variety made-from-scratch chicken salad flavors, fresh sides, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches, and desserts. The new Cape Coral restaurant offers in-restaurant, drive-thru, take-out, third-party delivery, and catering options.<\/p>\n
The franchise began in Alabama, where a recently-divorced mother-of-three needed to find a way to take care of her family. With a passion for the dish, she went out and tried every\u00a0chicken\u00a0salad\u00a0in her area, took what she liked best, and came up with her own recipe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s how\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0was born,\u201d Potesta said. \u201cIt was just the American Dream. She perfected her recipe, tested it with friends and family, and started selling it locally out of her home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, one cannot sell food products out of their home, so after being shut down, she opened a storefront with a business partner. Those partners were Stacey and Kevin Brown, who eventually married.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey paired up, and it was a wild success,\u201d Potesta said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Potesta and Pace, their love for\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0began during a special time in their lives \u2013 when Potesta was expecting her first child.\u00a0Chicken\u00a0salad\u00a0was one of the only foods she craved, so\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0quickly became part of their routine after her appointments.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore long, we were inspired to open locations of our own and are so grateful to everyone who has been part of our entrepreneurial journey,\u201d Pace said, \u201cWe can\u2019t wait to serve fresh, flavorful food with a side of warm hospitality to the Cape Coral community soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Potesta added, \u201cI always joked it was cheaper to buy a location than to continue the habit of\u00a0chicken\u00a0salad\u00a0all of the time. We fell in love for the reason all of our guests fall in love. The food is great. The customer service is exceptional, and it\u2019s just a wonderful atmosphere to come and be a part of every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0staff prepare its offerings fresh, every day, by scratch.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything comes in fresh, never frozen, and we cook it by hand with love,\u201d Potesta said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Potesta said part of\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u2019s ethos is to giving back to the community in a big way. The\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0brand established the CSC Foundation to support CURE Childhood Cancer and local food banks with fundraisers throughout the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband and I are very committed to the local community,\u201d she said. \u201cFor our friends and family, which is our soft opening, we donate 100% of our proceeds to Golisano Children\u2019s Hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond the food, putting guests first and creating a place that people want to spend time enjoying a meal is at the forefront for Potesta and Pace. It\u2019s less about ordering on a screen, and more about face-to-face interactions with a friendly staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur guests know us not just for the great food, but for the place you come, for the people that know your name, the local community feel,\u201d Potesta said. \u201cIt\u2019s all there and present with\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick. The food is always the plus. It\u2019s always the No. 1 driver. But when you step inside our doors, it\u2019s homey and inviting. It\u2019s meant to be a place to be comfortable and to relax \u2014 to feel at home and at ease.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott Deviney, president and CEO of\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick, in a release said, \u201cWe\u2019re excited to continue expanding\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u2019s presence in Florida alongside Scott and Kendal. Cape Coral is a vibrant, fast-growing, and family-friendly city that\u2019s well-suited for our brand. Scott and Kendal are also the perfect partners to lead our growth in Southwest Florida. We\u2019re confident their strong leadership skills, deep business expertise, and genuine love for the\u00a0Chick\u00a0will soon make the Cape Coral restaurant a beloved part of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 12 different types of\u00a0chicken\u00a0salad\u00a0can be served on a bed of lettuce with crackers on the side, or as a sandwich or melt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sides include a broccoli\u00a0salad, fresh fruit bowl, grape\u00a0salad, or pasta salad. Chicken Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0also offers gourmet soups and macaroni and cheese, as well as desserts such as cake and cookies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To qualify for the giveaways, the first 100 guests must remain in line and download the\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0app. Once the restaurant opens, guests will make a purchase of an entree with one side, or anything of equal\/greater value and enter a code in the\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0app to officially secure their spot. If an individual leaves the line for any reason, their spot will be awarded to the next guest in line. Guests will receive their first free large Quick\u00a0Chick\u00a0electronically to their app the Monday following Grand Opening Day.<\/p>\n
Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0of Cape Coral will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information on giveaways and specials, visit the Cape Coral restaurant\u2019s\u00a0Facebook, visit\u00a0chickensaladchick.com<\/a>, or follow\u00a0Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0on social media platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chicken\u00a0Salad\u00a0Chick\u00a0Cape Coral is at 1206 Solaris Drive off of Pine Island Road.<\/p>\n