Ottawa’s Tanger Outlets saw a significant turnout on Thursday as Chick-fil-A launched its inaugural restaurant in the city.
Over 100 people, both on foot and in vehicles, lined up ahead of the opening.
The queue began forming hours before the restaurant opened its doors at 10:30 a.m. Antong Hou and Linoy Gofman were the first in line, arriving at 5:30 a.m.
Hou, who had previously enjoyed Chick-fil-A in Toronto, expressed his excitement: “We love the waffle fries, chicken sandwiches with cheese, and the whole meal. It’s delicious. We also heard there was a special surprise for the first customers, so we came early.”
The first 100 customers received a choice between a gift, a mug, or a year of free meals, which includes 52 meals. Gofman was thrilled: “It’s amazing. Their chicken sandwiches are unbeatable.”
This Ottawa location marks the 15th Chick-fil-A in Canada, with the chain continuing its expansion across the country. As the third-largest restaurant chain in the U.S., Chick-fil-A typically generates nearly $9 million in annual sales per restaurant.
Angela Rudd, a local resident, expressed her joy at having Chick-fil-A in her hometown: “After 35 years, it’s great to have Chick-fil-A here in Ottawa. It was my favorite when I lived in the U.S.”
The new restaurant will operate from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday, offering dine-in, drive-thru, and pickup options. Chick-fil-A remains closed on Sundays to allow team members time to rest and spend time with family.
Greg Harris and his father Neil were among the first to use the Kanata location’s drive-thru, arriving around 6:30 a.m. Harris noted, “My wife loves Chick-fil-A. We enjoyed it in Toronto and heard that during grand openings, the first hundred often receive two free meals. I’m looking forward to the spicy deluxe number five combo and their famous waffle fries.”
To commemorate the new restaurant, Chick-fil-A will donate $34,000 to local non-profit organization Second Harvest.
Unlike previous openings in Toronto and Kitchener, where protests were reported due to the chain’s connections to anti-LGBTQ groups, no protests were observed in Ottawa. The controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A includes CEO Dan Cathy’s 2012 statement supporting “the biblical definition of the family unit,” which he reiterated in 2018, though he claimed not to be anti-gay. Critics have also cited corporate donations to groups opposing same-sex marriage.
A second Chick-fil-A location is scheduled to open at the Rideau Centre.