Chick-fil-A plans to open a nearly 148,000-square-foot facility as it looks to grow its supply chain operations in the U.S.
The $31 million investment from the restaurant chain’s logistics subsidiary, Chick-fil-A Supply, is set to create more than 60 jobs at a facility in Olathe, Kansas. The facility will operate at full scale in early 2024, according to a statement from the Kansas City Development Council.
The investment marks Chick-fil-A Supply’s fifth distribution center across the country and first in the Kansas City area.
Chick-Fil-A Supply opened its first full-scale distribution center for deliveries in 2020. The Cartersville, Georgia facility can service up to 300 restaurants, according to its website. Since then, the company has opened similar facilities in Mebane, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee, and announced plans to open a fourth facility in the St. Louis, Missouri area in 2023.
Now, the company is continuing its expansion by investing in Kansas City.
“The Kansas City area is a prime location to invest in our business, create jobs, and grow our supply chain operation,” Josh Grote, executive director at Chick-fil-A Supply, said in a statement.
Local business leaders said the development comes at a time when the Kansas City area is showing significant economic growth.
“With 12.6 million [square feet] of new industrial space under construction in the KC market at the end of last year, our KC SmartPort team is focused on elevating our region’s comprehensive strengths to attract manufacturing and distribution businesses from around the world," said Tim Cowden, president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council.
According to Cowden, other major companies are choosing the region due to its “many industrial advantages.” In the past year, several companies have set up manufacturing operations in Kansas, including Panasonic, Orange EV and EMP Shield.
