ONTARIO — The cows are coming home to Ontario and plenty of chicken is right behind them.

Chick-fil-A will open Nov. 5 at 6:30 a.m. at 897 N. Lexington-Springmill Road.

Locally owned and operated by Drew Foster, the restaurant will bring more than 130 jobs to the community.

The restaurant will be open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., offering dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out, third-party delivery and mobile pick-up.

The restaurant is celebrating its arrival with a deal for guests.

A ‘Moove-In Party’ for opening day

“Moove-In Party” details

  • Guests who dress in cow attire on opening day can redeem the offer of one free entrée or kid’s meal inside the restaurant or in the drive-thru.
  • Breakfast offer options are a Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit, Egg White Grill or 4-ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Minis
  • Lunch/dinner offer options are Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, 8-ct Grilled Nuggets, 8-ct Chick-fil-A Nuggets or 5-ct Nugget Kid’s Meal.
  • The offer is limited to one per person in cow attire, per day, while supplies last. No purchase is necessary.

Chick-fil-A will host a “Moove-In Party,” inviting guests of all ages to wear cow spots or bring a cow-spotted accessory to redeem one free entrée or kids’ meal inside the restaurant or through the drive-thru.

Guests who participate can choose from designated breakfast, lunch or dinner menu items.

During an Oct. 7 City Council meeting, Mayor Josh Bradley said he met with Foster and described him as someone who seemed very interested in becoming part of the community.

Foster joins the Richland County community

“My family and I were drawn to Richland County because of the pride people take in this community and the exciting investments being made in its future,” Foster said.

“Early in my career, someone saw potential in me and gave me the opportunity to grow into a leader,” he added. “That experience changed the course of my life, and it’s something I hope to pass on to others.”

Foster began his Chick-fil-A career in 2018 as a Team Member, inspired by his dream of owning a business. Mentorship from a local owner-operator showed him how investing in people could make a lasting impact on employees, customers and the community.

He later joined Chick-fil-A’s Leadership Development Program, gaining experience in restaurant operations and leadership while supporting locations across the Midwest.

“As we open our doors, I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of that growth by creating jobs, investing in our Team Members and building a place where people feel supported and inspired to reach their full potential,” he said.

According to a press release, Foster plans to work alongside Team Members in his restaurant each day.

To mark the opening, Chick-fil-A, Inc. will donate $25,000 to Feeding America to support local hunger relief efforts through the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

Foster will also participate in Chick-fil-A’s Shared Table program, which redirects surplus food to local nonprofits. The program has helped provide more than 50 million meals, with more than 2,700 restaurants participating.

From early plans to opening day

Chick-fil-A submitted its plan review application to the city on Oct. 23, 2025, for a proposed restaurant near the intersection of North Lexington-Springmill Road and Village Mall Drive, on a vacant lot next to Pet Supplies Plus.

Preliminary plans showed a restaurant measuring about 4,375 square feet, with indoor and outdoor seating, 45 parking spaces and a two-lane drive-thru.

At the time, Ontario Zoning Inspector Benji Hall said the project remained in its early stages and noted Chick-fil-A’s food truck had visited the area since 2019.

“The food truck was sort of a trial run to see how Chick-fil-A would do in the area,” Hall said.

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