Chick-fil-A confirms plans for Nevada expansion

The official countdown is on.

Georgia-based chicken restaurant Chick-fil-A confirmed months of rumors and pleased legions of local fans Friday, when it confirmed it’s coming to Nevada within the next 18 months.

The chain plans to launch eight to 10 stores here in the next five years.

The first is scheduled to open in the Las Vegas area in late 2016 or early 2017. The company wouldn’t say where, but Chick-fil-A was on the city of Henderson’s Planning Commission meeting agenda Thursday night, requesting a design review of a location at Stephanie Street and Warm Springs Road. A vacant Cox Communications building on-site would be demolished.

Chick-fil-A is one of the nation’s fastest-growing chains, but until now, it has bypassed Nevada. It has locations in California, Arizona, Utah and Idaho.

Industry observers speculated that the conservative views of company founder S. Truett Cathey, who died in September, kept the company out of a state with legalized gambling and prostitution. But company representatives said Friday they’d been “searching for the perfect location for years.”

Chicago-based restaurant expert Darren Tristano said Chick-fil-A could no longer ignore Nevada’s population gains. The number of residents surged 41 percent from 2000 to 2014 to 2.84 million, including 2 million Las Vegans.

“The market is growing, and that tends to be a big driver for brands expanding,” said Tristano, executive vice president of consulting firm Technomic. “They’re looking for growth in a market because they don’t want to steal share or battle for share. They want to win market share and benefit from growth.”

Chick-fil-A will enter the market with a die-hard fan base.

The company’s customer service has given it a “cultlike following,” Tristano said.

“They focus so much on hospitality and and training,” he said. “They get high scores on service, quality and overall experience, like flowers on the tables, and the interaction and engagement the staff have with customers is just tremendous. Those who understand it really love it.”

Jesse Scott, a local publicist who stocks up on the restaurant’s sauce when he’s in California, agreed the company’s food is good, but its service sets it apart.

“It comes down to consistency and friendliness,” Scott said. “They refill your drinks for you, bring you your food and say ‘my pleasure’ after everything. It’s quite refreshing.”

The company also won points with health-conscious consumers in 2013, when it became the first quick-service restaurant to commit to serving only chicken raised without antibiotics. It’s phasing in the change through 2018.

“It’s just a great brand that has found success everywhere,” Tristano said. “It’s one of those brands that’s a real winner and has a lot of people who love it. They seem to do everything right.”

Chick-fil-A opened its first restaurant in Atlanta in 1967 and has posted 47 straight years of sales growth.

Financial services consultant Janney said in 2014 that the chain consumed 26 percent of the nation’s fast-food chicken sector in 2013, up from 9 percent in 1999 and ahead of KFC’s 22 percent.

Chick-fil-A has more than 1,900 locations in 42 states. Companywide sales totaled nearly $6 billion in 2014.

Contact Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com. Find @J_Robison1 on Twitter.