The first and only Bartow Chick-fil-A opened at 6:30 a.m. Thursday to fanfare and giveaways after a ribbon-cutting ceremony the day before.
Justin Kranitz is the local franchise owner, a company press release reported and had served for 20 years with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Haines City Police Department prior to owning the franchise.
“He is excited to serve the Bartow area as his restaurant joins over 50 others in the greater Tampa-St. Petersburg area,” Chick-fil-A said.
The restaurant will employ 150 full- and part-time employees, the company said.
The restaurant will be surprising 100 local heroes making an impact in Bartow with free Chick-fil-A food for a year. Chick-fil-A will also donate $25,000 to Feeding America for Bartow area partners in their fight against hunger.