Chicken Salad Chick fans have been flocking to its new location in Cape Coral.
Take April 29, for example.
That’s when the fast-casual Southern-inspired chicken salad-focused chain opened at the Shops at Del Sol off Pine Island Road — the first in Cape Coral and fourth in Southwest Florida.
“We reached 100 people in line by 8:30 in the morning,” said Kendal Potesta, franchise co-owner, along with her husband Scott Pace. “We opened at 10 a.m. The first couple got in line at 7:30 the night before and camped out overnight.”
Then came Mother’s Day and a sweet buy-one-get-one-free promotion on large Quick Chicks (we’ll get to that in a minute).
“It was our biggest day ever in our territory,” said Potesta, who also has locations in Fort Myers, Estero and Port Charlotte. “We sold 911 Quick Chicks. That’s nearly 1,000 pounds of chicken just for the promo that day only. We had 757 transactions, which would be about 1,600-plus guests for the day.”
That support has been why the area has been on Potesta’s radar for a while.
“The outpouring from the community has been incredible,” she said. “We are very excited to be in Cape Coral. It’s always been a high priority to get there. We signed (the lease) two years ago and have been committed to the area since we started.”
Three Chicken Salad Chicks in less than four months
Potesta and Pace became fans of Chicken Salad Chick back in 2019 when they were expecting their first child.
“I was pregnant and had a bad food aversion,” she said. “We were passing a Chicken Salad Chick in Tampa, and I said I wanted to try it. We both fell in love with it.”
It’s been a whirlwind from there. They opened their first location off 6 Mile Cypress Parkway, south of Colonial Boulevard, in Fort Myers in September of 2022. Three months later, their Estero location debuted off Corkscrew Road, followed by a third spot along Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte in January 2023.
“We opened three stores in 114 days,” Potesta said. “They were all new construction. That’s just how the timing worked out.”
For their efforts, the couple was named Developers of the Year at the company’s annual conference in Atlanta in 2023.
What’s on the menu at Chicken Salad Chick?
Those locations (and now Cape Coral) quickly built a loyal local following. Customers keep coming back for the 13 different types of chicken salad on the menu, made in-house from scratch every morning.
Traditional flavors include the Classic Carol (minced celery, mayo and seasonings), while Fancy Nancy (with Fuji apples, grapes and pecans) and Cranberry Kelli (the one Potesta first fell in love with) are two of the fruity & nutty ones. There are savory (think barbecue and ranch, bacon and cheddar) and spicy flavors (like Jalapeno Holly and Buffalo Barclay, too.
Pick a flavor and get it in one or two scoops, in a sandwich, in a melt (Bacon cheddar or chicken) or in a BLT.
A turkey club is also available.
The sides, also all scratch-made, are another standout and include broccoli, grape and pasta salads, fresh fruit, mac ‘n cheese and soup.
A few desserts (white chocolate layer cake and signature cookies) are also on the menu. Get it all by dining in, driving through, taking out, or by delivery.
Another popular option is those made-fresh-daily Quick Chicks — small and large prepacked and refrigerated containers of chicken salad (all flavors available), ready to grab and go. Find them in a display case inside or get them through the drive-thru.
What’s next for Chicken Salad Chick locally?
More than 330 locations in 22 states have opened since the franchise was founded by Stacy and Kevin Brown in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008.
Potesta and Pace account for four of them. For now, anyway.
“There are no deals signed today, but we are actively pursuing another location,” Potesta said. “Yes, we are looking in the Naples area. We’re looking to find a spot that makes sense in that market.”
In the meantime, the new Cape Coral spot is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 1206 Solaris Drive (among all those new builds off Pine Island Road, just west of Mel’s Diner).
“Thank you to everyone who has come by,” Potesta said. “We’re very thankful to be here.”
Go to chickensaladchick.com or follow on Facebook for more.
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: New fast-casual restaurant quickly gains a following in Cape Coral
Reporting by Robyn George, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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