Mill Creek’s newest drive-thru magnet has officially landed, and it did not roll in quietly. Chick-Fil-A opened its Mill Creek restaurant this week with a splashy promise: the company says it will direct $100,000 to Feeding America to support local hunger relief as part of several spring openings across Western Washington. The Mill Creek spot is one of four new Washington locations the chain is tying to community donations.
As reported by KOMO, Chick-Fil-A confirmed the four openings and the $100,000 donation, and the Mill Creek site on Bothell-Everett Highway opened Thursday morning. ARC Seattle anchor Steve McCarron spoke with owner-operator Barrett Knox about the new restaurant and the company pledge.
How The Chicken Money Adds Up
Chick-Fil-A’s national practice is to give $25,000 to a local Feeding America partner whenever a new restaurant opens, so multiple openings in one region quickly add up, according to Chick-Fil-A. The chain also runs the Shared Table program, which diverts surplus food to local nonprofits and shelters. Those combined cash and food efforts remain the company’s main tools for local hunger relief.
What Food Lifeline Does
Food Lifeline is the Feeding America member that will receive the funds in the Seattle area and partners with roughly 300 food banks and meal programs. It says it distributes the equivalent of about 164,480 meals each day and that nearly 2 million Washingtonians face hunger, according to Food Lifeline.
Where The New Spots Are Opening
Chick-Fil-A lists the Mill Creek restaurant at 13025 Bothell-Everett Hwy on its location page and names Barrett Knox as the owner-operator, with the site still marked “Coming Soon” on the company map. A separate Bellingham restaurant at 4030 Cordata Pkwy is slated to open April 30, with first-day “Moove-In Party” and free-meal promos reported by the Bellingham Herald.
Neighbors And Traffic
Local coverage has also flagged the logistical reality that Chick-Fil-A openings can draw big lines and snarled traffic. KIRO7 warned of possible “chicken chokepoints” around new Everett and Bellingham locations. Cascadia Daily News reported the chain donated $50,000 ahead of Bellingham’s opening, with $25,000 earmarked each for Bellingham and Everett, underlining how openings and donations are playing out regionally…