A new, locally owned Chick-fil-A restaurant with a drive-thru is opening in Gilroy Aug. 22.
Owned by Jonathan Bohnenberger, the restaurant, known as Chick-fil-A at 10th, is located at 7060 Chestnut Street and will be open for dine-in, drive-thru and takeout from 6:30am-10pm Monday through Saturday, says a press release from the popular restaurant chain.
“Chick-fil-A’s franchise model is essential to how the restaurant serves others,” says the release. Most Chick-fil-A restaurants are owned and operated by a single individual, meaning Chick-fil-A’s local owner-operators are small business owners, rather than passive investors, who work in their restaurants side by side with their staff each day.
In Gilroy, Bohnenberger will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing about 120 full- and part-time employees, according to Chick-fil-A.
Bohnenberger is a South Carolina native and has lived in the Bay Area for three years with his wife and daughter, the press release continues. He fell in love with Chick-fil-A on his first visit, enjoying a milkshake with his mom.
A few years later, in high school, Bohnenberger began his journey with Chick-fil-A as a Team Member, working back of house and learning how to prepare signature items including the original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. He continued working at Chick-fil-A throughout college and got accepted into the Chick-fil-A Leadership Development Program, which prepared him for his next step to become a local owner-operator.
Outside of the restaurant, Bohnenberger enjoys exploring the outdoors with his wife, Makenna, the press release adds. Their goal is to visit every national park in the U.S. and are well on their way, having already hit a majority of some of the most popular hikes.
“What I find most exciting about Gilroy is the alignment between the community’s passions and my own, sharing a passion for supporting individuals and organizations that contribute to Gilroy’s improvement,” Bohnenberger said. “At Chick-fil-A Gilroy at 10th, I’m committed to providing quarterly service opportunities and volunteering at local organizations, encouraging Team Members to get involved.
“When I started as a Team Member, my Chick-fil-A leaders were integral in helping me grow into the person I am today and I’m excited to give my Team Members that same opportunity here in Gilroy.”
The Chick-fil-A business is built to add positive impact beyond profit, including giving back to local communities, says the press release. Chick-fil-A local owner-operators are empowered to support the neighborhoods they serve with a key focus on hunger, education, and specific community needs.
In celebration of theAug. 22 opening, Chick-fil-A, Inc. has donated $25,000 to Feeding America to support the local hunger relief efforts of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a Feeding America partner food bank, in honor of the new restaurant, the press release says.
Bohnenberger’s restaurant will plan to participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, an initiative that redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits in need.
In addition, Chick-fil-A Gilroy at 10th is recognizing 100 local heroes making an impact in the Gilroy area by providing them with free Chick-fil-A entrées for a year, according to the press release.
