Chick-fil-A is on the way!
It may have been the worst kept secret in the history of Bedford County. A building on North Main Street is being demolished. From the time the destruction began social media was abuzz with speculation the space would be filled by a Chick-fil-A.
At Friday morning’s meeting of the Joint Economic Development Board, Chick-fil-A was a major part of the discussion. Friday afternoon the developers gave permission to officially report the new Chick-fil-A will soon be under construction.
Shelbyville Mayor Randy Carroll pointed out the city paid the developer $300,000 through its industrial development board as an incentive for the project.
“Chick-fil-A is moving dirt,” Carroll said. “We’re ready for some chicken here.
“The developer requested the $300,000 and the council approved it. We have worked with Shane Hooper (president-CEO of the Shelbyville-Bedford Partnership) in getting Chick-fil-A to come to Shelbyville. It cost money to bring things like this to Shelbyville.”
Projects like these are important as a source of tax revenue for this city and county.
“Furthermore, some residents will see the Chick-fil-A brand as an addition to their quality of life,” Hooper said.
Hooper stresses the addition of Chick-fil-A is going to mean Shelbyville and Bedford County will be more attractive to retailers and other casual dining establishments.
“Chick-fil-A is a major stepping-stone towards recruiting more retail options,” Hooper said. “And it also attracts more sales opportunities for our existing retailers.
“For many people Chick-fil-A is a destination. When they patronize Chick-fil-A as a destination, they typically buy other goods and services while in Shelbyville and Bedford County. That’s good for existing businesses and for municipal revenue.”
Hooper stressed that there is still work to do in terms of attracting casual dining where customers can walk in and place an order and eat at a table.
“We don’t have our fair share of casual dining,” Hooper said. “We still have some work to do there. We are working with developers on finding locations.”