By Joe Borden EBS CONTRIBUTOR
On April 3, word dribbled out online that the inevitable was happening. Basically two months to the day after Whole Foods opened its doors on West Main Street, Chick-fil-A announced it would be opening a location in Bozeman.
I’ve learned not to take internet stories at face value so close to April Fools’ Day, so I followed up with Chick-fil-A corporate HQ to verify that it wasn’t a prank being played on the gullible, hungry people of the Gallatin Valley. And in a victory for waffle fry eaters everywhere, they confirmed the news.
Here’s the full statement I received from Chick-fil-A Inc.:
“Chick-fil-A is always evaluating potential new locations in the hopes of serving existing and new customers great food with remarkable service. We select locations based on several criteria and Montana is an area of growth and opportunity for the brand. We are thrilled by the customer response and warm welcome we received from the Montana community following the opening of Chick-fil-A Billings in January 2023 and Chick-fil-A Missoula in November 2022.
While we are still early in the process, Chick-fil-A is happy to share that we are actively pursuing a new location in Bozeman at I-90 and 19th Avenue. We look forward to working through the approval process with the City of Bozeman and are excited by the prospect of joining this neighborhood. We hope to have the opportunity to serve new guests delicious food in an environment of genuine hospitality in the next few years.”
So there you have it. Whether you prefer the Polynesian dipping sauce or any of the wrong ones, you’ll have an opportunity in the not too distant future to brave the inevitable mayhem and buy an Arnold Palmer with that perfect pellet ice at our area’s very own Chick-fil-A. It’s truly a great day for anyone not named Super Chix and Five Guys. They’ll have to settle with having Sundays all to themselves.
