Owners Heath and April Kyle, center, join East Ridge city officials in a groundbreaking ceremony for Chick-fil-A’s newest restaurant at Jordan Crossing, Monday morning.

Dignitaries, developers and the owner operator officially broke ground for the Chick-fil-A at Jordan Crossing, Monday morning.

“This is an exciting day for the City of East Ridge and I’m looking forward to eating more chicken … lots and lots of chicken,” Mayor Brent Lambert said during opening remarks.

Lambert said that the opening of the giant fast-food franchise was “a big deal” for East Ridge. He said he was thankful to owner/operator Heath Kyle for opening the business and welcomed Kyle to East Ridge.

Kyle, who went to college in Chattanooga, has been involved with Chick-fil-A for 18 years, 14 as an owner/operator. He thanked the developers – Matt Wood, Ethan Wood and John Healy – and the city for the opportunity to open on Camp Jordan Parkway.

“For me, it’s more than running a restaurant,” Kyle said. “I’m able to move back home and be closer to family. I’m thankful to area operators who’ve built the brand here.”

Kyle said the restaurant’s 4,999 square-feet will seat 120 patrons inside and 12 outside. The store will feature a “heritage design.” That design incorporates among other things a communal table made from recycled wood and a light fixture made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles.

The store also has Chick-fil-A’s double drive-thru, which Kyle said accounts for 60 percent of its business. 

The latest Chattanooga area Chick-fil-A is scheduled to open in May, officials said. When it opens, the location is expected to create about 85 new jobs.

According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the East Ridge Chick-fil-A is the second of six restaurants the popular chain expects to open in Tennessee in 2018.

The Chick-fil-A is directly across Camp Jordan Parkway from Bass Pro Shops. An 88-room Hampton Inn is under construction next door to the restaurant.