The new Chik-fil-A restaurant at First Avenue South and 29th Street debuts today, with doors opening at 6:30 a.m.

“We are very excited to be in Fort Dodge,” said Adam Heynen, the owner and operator of the restaurant.

The menu features the chain’s signature chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, salads and more. To wash it all down, diners can choose a variety of soft drinks , ice tea and lemonade made with real sugar, lemon juice and water.

The 4,600-square-foot restaurant has 82 seats inside and 16 seats on the outdoor patio for when warmer weather returns.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
This board tells the history of Chik-fil-A.

It has two drive-thru lanes which will be staffed by employees equipped with computer tablets in all but the worst weather. During those bad weather days, drive-thru customers will place their orders via a speaker system.

About 100 people work there in a mix of full-time and part-time positions.

Owning and operating a restaurant is a career change for Heynen, who was previously a physicians assistant. His wife, Jill, worked at a Chik-fil-A restaurant in Coralville and later, both he and his wife worked at one in Rochester, Minnesota. The manner in which his bosses conducted businesses in both of those restaurants convinced him to become an owner-operator.

“The owner-operator model is what really drew me into Chik-fil-A,” he said.

“My wife worked at one in Coralville, and I was just so impressed with the way the owner-operator cared for my wife and myself,” he added.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
The 82-seat dining room of Chik-fil-A will likely be full today when the restaurant opens.

“In Rochester, it was the same thing,” Heynen said. “The owner-operator was a 10 out of 10.”

In Rochester, he decided to change careers and rose into a management position with Chik-fil-A.

When he was able to get his own restaurant, Fort Dodge was an easy choice for the Sheldon native.

“We wanted to be close to home and be in a place that felt like home,” Heynen said.

“I am local,” he said. “I live in Fort Dodge.”

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
The outside of Chik-fil-A is shown.

He said he is very impressed by the “friendliness of the community.”

Chik-fil-A is the newest business in Corridor Plaza, the multi-use development on the property that was once the Crossroads Mall.

The restaurant will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.