Chicken Salad Chick to open Cape location April 29
Craving some chicken salad with a twist?
Chicken Salad Chick, touted as the nation’s only fast-casual chicken salad restaurant concept, is ready to celebrate the grand opening of its newest location in Cape Coral. The celebration will kick off April 29, with multiple days of giveaways and specials, including free chicken salad for a year for the first 100 guests.
Chicken Salad Chick of Cape Coral is owned and operated by multi-unit franchise owners Scott Pace and Kendal Potesta. The husband-and-wife duo opened their first Chicken Salad Chick back in 2022 in Fort Myers and have since opened up two more locations in Southwest Florida, including Estero and Port Charlotte.
“We are thrilled,” Potesta said of the new location. “Cape Coral is all always been top of our list, so we were so excited to finally find the perfect spot there and be open in time for Mother’s Day, which sees one of our biggest promotions of the year. I mean, we’re just over the moon.”
Cape Coral will mark their fourth location to open. Potesta grew up in the restaurant industry, while Pace brings a strong financial background from his years working on Wall Street. Together, their business experience and shared passion for “spreading joy, enriching lives, and serving others” helps them deliver outstanding customer service at each of their restaurants.
During the grand opening celebration, guests can expect to experience the Southern hospitality for which Chicken Salad Chick is known while taking advantage of various specials and giveaways. These include:
n April 29 – Free Chicken Salad for a Year to the First 100 Guests – The first guest in line at 10 a.m. will receive one free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year. The next 99 guests in line will receive one free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for a year
n April 30 – The first 50 guests to purchase an entree with two sides will receive a free Teal Chick Cooler
n May 1 – The first 50 guests to purchase an entree with two sides will receive a free Navy Canvas Tote Bag
n May 2 – The first 50 guests to purchase an entree with two sides will receive a free Teal Stainless Steel Tumbler
“This is a unique promotion we only do at grand openings,” Potesta said. “It’s a great, exciting day. The people that lined up for previous openings all came overnight the night before. By the time we get there, there’s already a big line going. It’s a lot of fun. There’s a lot of giveaways and a lot of fun during the day. There are a lot of prizes and additional secret prizes that happen throughout the period. But the entire week we have giveaways for everybody.”
Chicken Salad Chick is known for its dozen-plus variety made-from-scratch chicken salad flavors, fresh sides, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches, and desserts. The new Cape Coral restaurant offers in-restaurant, drive-thru, take-out, third-party delivery, and catering options.
The franchise began in Alabama, where a recently-divorced mother-of-three needed to find a way to take care of her family. With a passion for the dish, she went out and tried every chicken salad in her area, took what she liked best, and came up with her own recipe.
“That’s how Chicken Salad Chick was born,” Potesta said. “It was just the American Dream. She perfected her recipe, tested it with friends and family, and started selling it locally out of her home.”
Of course, one cannot sell food products out of their home, so after being shut down, she opened a storefront with a business partner. Those partners were Stacey and Kevin Brown, who eventually married.
“They paired up and it was a wild success,” Potesta said.
For Potesta and Pace, their love for Chicken Salad Chick began during a special time in their lives – when Potesta was expecting her first child. Chicken salad was one of the only foods she craved, so Chicken Salad Chick quickly became part of our routine after her appointments.
“Before long, we were inspired to open locations of our own and are so grateful to everyone who has been part of our entrepreneurial journey,” Pace said, “We can’t wait to serve fresh, flavorful food with a side of warm hospitality to the Cape Coral community soon.”
Potesta added, “I always joked it was cheaper to buy a location than to continue the habit of chicken salad all of the time. We fell in love for the reason all of our guests fall in love. The food is great. The customer service is exceptional, and it’s just a wonderful atmosphere to come and be a part of every single day.”
Chicken Salad Chick staff prepare its offerings fresh, every day, by scratch.
“Everything comes in fresh, never frozen, and we cook it by hand with love,” Potesta said.
Potesta said part of Chicken Salad Chick’s ethos is to giving back to the community in a big way. The Chicken Salad Chick brand established the CSC Foundation to support CURE Childhood Cancer and local food banks with fundraisers throughout the year.
“My husband and I are very committed to the local community,” she said. “For our friends and family, which is our soft opening, we donate 100% of our proceeds to Golisano Children’s Hospital.”
Beyond the food, putting guests first and creating a place that people want to spend time enjoying a meal is at the forefront for Potesta and Pace. It’s less about ordering on a screen, and more about face-to-face interactions with a friendly staff.
“Our guests know us not just for the great food, but for the place you come, for the people that know your name, the local community feel,” Potesta said. “It’s all there and present with Chicken Salad Chick. The food is always the plus. It’s always the No. 1 driver. But when you step inside our doors, it’s homey and inviting. It’s meant to be a place to be comfortable and to relax — to feel at home and at ease.”
Scott Deviney, president and CEO of Chicken Salad Chick, in a release said, “We’re excited to continue expanding Chicken Salad Chick’s presence in Florida alongside Scott and Kendal. Cape Coral is a vibrant, fast-growing, and family-friendly city that’s well-suited for our brand. Scott and Kendal are also the perfect partners to lead our growth in Southwest Florida. We’re confident their strong leadership skills, deep business expertise, and genuine love for the Chick will soon make the Cape Coral restaurant a beloved part of the community.”
The 12 different types of chicken salad can be served on a bed of lettuce with crackers on the side, or as a sandwich or melt.
Sides include a broccoli salad, fresh fruit bowl, grape salad, or pasta salad. Chicken Salad Chick also offers gourmet soups and macaroni and cheese, as well as desserts such as cake and cookies.
To qualify for the giveaways, the first 100 guests must remain in line and download the Chicken Salad Chick app. Once the restaurant opens, guests will make a purchase of an entree with one side, or anything of equal/greater value and enter a code in the Chicken Salad Chick app to officially secure their spot. If an individual leaves the line for any reason, their spot will be awarded to the next guest in line. Guests will receive their first free large Quick Chick electronically to their app the Monday following Grand Opening Day.
Chicken Salad Chick of Cape Coral will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information on giveaways and specials, visit the Cape Coral restaurant’s Facebook, visit chickensaladchick.com, or follow Chicken Salad Chick on social media platforms.
Chicken Salad Chick Cape Coral is at 1206 Solaris Drive off of Pine Island Road.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com