News

Chicken Salad Chick gaining ground in Gainesville

Chicken Salad Chick is opening its first Gainesville, Florida, location on Dec. 8 at 3045 S.W. 34th St. Suite 16.

November 20, 2015

Chicken Salad Chick is opening its first Gainesville, Florida, location on Dec. 8 at 3045 S.W. 34th St. Suite 16.

Owned and operated by Singletary Smith Group, the new restaurant will kick off five days of festivities with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce on Dec. 8, according to a company press release. Five percent of proceeds made on grand opening day will be donated to the United Way of North Central Florida, which works to pool efforts in fundraising and support for residents in the community.

"Gainesville residents are in for a treat as we prepare to introduce them to our delicious menu of Chicken Salad Chick flavors," said Mark Singletary, Gainesville Chicken Salad Chick franchisee and president of Singletary Smith Group. "We're proud to partner with the United Way to celebrate Gainesville's first Chicken Salad Chick restaurant, and we look forward to serving the Gainesville community for many years to come."

Prior to Chicken Salad Chick, Singletary was living and working in New Orleans when he decided it was time for a change. He made his way to Auburn, Alabama, where his daughter and son-in-law, Lauryn and Cope Smith, introduced him to their good friends, Stacy and Kevin Brown, founders of Chicken Salad Chick. After a bit of conversation, Singletary decided to invest in the company and opened his first location in Destin, Florida. Singletary sold the Destin location and decided to open a new restaurant in Gainesville.