Myrtle Beach Chick-fil-A Restaurant Raising Funds for Hurricane Victims With Sept. 8 Opening

A Free One-Year Supply of Chick-fil-A Being Awarded to First 100 People in Line at New Location

Myrtle Beach residents are being encouraged to assist with the American Red Cross' relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims by making monetary donations at the new Chick-fil-A restaurant opening Sept. 8 in Myrtle Beach. Chick-fil-A Operator Brian Moniz will match up to $1,500 of the money given by customers that day.

"Many of our Chick-fil-A team members and Operators have been impacted by the hurricane along with thousands of others who have lost everything," said Moniz. "At Chick-fil-A, we are strongly encouraged to provide second mile service and what better way than to help raise funds for the hurricane victims."

Located at 85 Rodeo Dr., the new Chick-fil-A restaurant also will be collecting personal hygiene kits which should be placed in gallon-size plastic bags containing trial size personal hygiene items such as shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, deodorant, wash cloth, etc. These kits will be given to the American Red Cross to be distributed to needy people.

The new Chick-fil-A restaurant will open Sept. 8 with the first 100 people in line by 6 a.m. to receive a free year supply of Chick-fil-A combo meals (52 coupons). Those 18 years and older can line up as early as 6am on Wednesday, with the year supplies being awarded on Thursday sometime between 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. The restaurant will officially open for business at 6:30 a.m. and will begin accepting donations at that time.

The opening is one of three free-standing locations planned for 2005 in the metro-Myrtle Beach area with units including the April opening in Conway and the Murrells Inlet opening expected in November. Brian Moniz, transferring from the Colonial Mall Chick-fil-A restaurant, has been selected to run the new Carolina Forest location.

Although he's been an Operator for seven years, Moniz is carrying on the tradition started in 1973 by his father who opened the chain's 13th Chick-fil-A location in the country in North Charleston at Northwoods Mall. When his father passed away in 1985, his mother continued operating the restaurant which involves the rest of the family. His sister helps with marketing and his brother is the general manager of his mother's location. In addition, he has an uncle who has been an Operator for 25 years in the Charleston area.

Very interested in sports including serving as a volunteer assistant coach to Carolina Forest JV football team, Moniz also has a passion for race car driving. He is known as Chick-fil-A Car #18, decked out with the Eat Mor Chikin Cows, in the NASCAR sanctioned Charger Division at the Myrtle Beach Speedway. He wrecked the first race of the season but hopes to participate in another race sometime in September. He can keep an eye on competition as his new restaurant is located right across the street from the track. Moniz is married to Selene and has one son.

The new Carolina Forest free-standing restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. The breakfast menu includes the popular chicken biscuit along with an expanded lineup which debuted in June featuring the quick-service industry's first premium coffee blends, three custom-roasted Cafe Blends Coffees, and its new Chick-fil-A Cinnamon Cluster, fresh-baked mini swirls filled with sweet cinnamon served warm with a creamy vanilla icing.

The new items are the second phase of a two-part breakfast menu expansion that has increased breakfast sales in the chain by 30 percent this year. Other items that have been added include the introduction of Chick-fil-A® Chick-n-Minis(TM), the chain's popular bite-sized Chick-fil-A® Nuggets nestled in a warm mini yeast roll lightly coated with a honey butter spread; and the Bagel Sandwich, a breakfast portion of Chick-fil-A's boneless breast of chicken served between a slice of American cheese and folded egg on a toasted multi-grain bagel.

From Chick-fil-A's commitment to unparalleled food quality to customer service to employee loyalty, virtually every aspect of the company's operations has received major recognition from national organizations and publications. In the past year alone awards have included:

--  "Best Drive-Thru in America" for the third straight year this month
    following Quick Service Restaurant magazine's annual restaurant study of 25
    chains that surveys order accuracy, menu display, speaker clarity and the
    speed of service to fill orders.

--  Fast Company magazine's inaugural Customers First Awards, singling out
    Dan Cathy's leadership as a key reason the chain continues to thrive and
    grow while maintaining a close connection with its team members and
    customers. Using a panel of experts and a survey of customers, the magazine
    named Cathy and Chick-fil-A as the winner in its Customer-Centered Leader
    category.

--  For the 11th year out of the past 12, the Consumer Choice in Chains
    Award in the chicken category by Restaurants & Institutions, a leading food
    service industry publication which studied consumer experiences with food
    quality, menu variety, value, and service.

--  Topping the quick-service restaurant competition in the South, ranking
    first in J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Restaurant Satisfaction Study,
    which rated restaurants in environment, meal, service and cost. Receiving
    top ratings in two of the four categories -- meal and service.
    

Chick-fil-A's closed-on-Sunday policy also stands out as a rarity in the quick-service restaurant industry. The chain has maintained Sunday as a day off to allow employees to spend time with family and worship if they choose since Truett Cathy founded the company.

Chick-fil-A's commitment to its employees includes a Leadership Scholarship program which has been in place for more than 30 years and reached its 20,000th scholarship milestone this summer. This year the company expects to award nearly $1.2 million in scholarships to restaurant employees, which will amount to more than $20 million by year-end. Chick-fil-A restaurant employees in South Carolina have received more than $1.07 million.

Continuing its unprecedented, 37-year run of consecutive sales gains since the chain started in 1967, Chick-fil-A, Inc. reported 2004 system-wide sales of more than $1.7 billion, a 13.8 percent increase over its 2003 figures and a positive 5.2 percent same-store sales increase over the preceding year.

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A is the nation's second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain with more than 1,210 restaurants in 38 states and Washington D.C. The chain expects to build more than 77 locations this year, including 60 free-standing units such as the one in Myrtle Beach. For more information, visit www.chick-fil-a.com or www.chick-fil-apressroom.com.

Distributed by Market Wire