The Wellington Chamber of Commerce
Celebrates A New Location For Chick-fil-A
Photo Left – Right: Fred Pinto, Rona Klein and Julie, Dale Grimm, Rob Rabenecker, Hank Klein, Victor Connor, Chandra Bill, Maggie Zeller, Bob Salerno, Chritian Lopez, Coco Liza, Joanne Dee, Laura L. Hanson, Seminole Ridge ROTC.
The Wellington Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Chick-fil- A opened up in their new location on Thursday, September 20th, at 206 South S.R. 7, Royal Palm Beach, Florida in front of Home Depot. A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony that morning brought together many people from different organizations in support of the chain’s new location. Many people camped out in the parking lot the night before in order to be part of the first 100 people through the door the next morning. Those people won a free Chick-fil-A meal every week for a year. Chick-fil-A is a current member of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and they have another location at the Wellington Greens Mall.
Rob Rabenecker is the owner of the Wellington and Royal Palm Beach restaurant locations. He is well known for his involvement and support in the community. Visit the internet for complete information. He is also very active with several Chambers in Palm Beach County as well as The Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Many know Rob as the General Manager of Roger Dean Stadium. Sports management was his passion for ten years.
Rob Rabenecker was born in Louisville, Kentucky. As a child, he loved to play baseball and he joined little league teams. As a junior in high school, he happened to read about a new program called “Sports Management” which caught his interest. So, after graduating high school, he attended Eastern Kentucky University and earned an undergraduate degree in Marketing and Management. He then attended Ohio State University and received a M.A. in Sports Management. By 1998, Rob became the General Manager of Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida and opened up the doors to the new baseball facility. Two major league teams, Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals, did their spring training under his watchful eyes. They continue to play there today.
In 2006, after all the excitement of baseball, Rob decided it was time to make a change in his life. He decided he wanted to own a fast food franchise. He researched different companies on the internet but finally realized he should look into Chick-fil-A since he enjoyed eating there – often at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall. After a careful study of the company’s policies, practices, and costs to operate a franchise, Rob decided he wanted in. A location in Wellington happened to become available and he became the owner soon after.
I asked Rob about his company and its product. He noted that Chick-fil-A serves high quality 100% white meat chicken breasts that have no additives or fillers. Only fresh products come in the back door. He added that his stores do a lot of lemon squeezing. Each morning, the lemonade is made fresh using water, lemons, sugar or Splenda. In addition, their produce comes in fresh and not pre-packaged. Therefore, salads and fruit cups are put together by hand each day.
Rob stated that by 2013, “We are going to surpass our #1 competitor in sales in the United States. We are going to be #1 in chicken sales by 2013. So that says a lot because the customers are speaking.” Then he added, “But the thing you are going to remember most is our service. We try to WOW people. We encourage our team to smile, to make eye contact, to stay engaged in conversation. We try to teach them how to read people. If a guy comes in and he’s having a bad day and he just wants his food, we respect that. It’s about relationships. We want it to be a relationship so when you come in to order, we already know your name and your order before you even come in.” It appears that Chick-fil-A wants to bridge the gap between a large corporate food chain and a small business that offers personalized service.
Regarding good customer service, Rob said, “We want to be America’s number one quick service restaurant and in doing so treat everyone that comes in the door with honor, dignity and respect and that includes the people in the back.”
“Working here should be a good experience. When people work with us, I want them to grow. When I say grow, I mean developing themselves.” Rob strives for good team work and he goes out of his way to know why every team member works for him. Is it college, supporting their family, etc. He believes good relationships with corporate and with his team members allows the company to service their customers well. He added with a smile, “We have great food but it’s all about the people. That’s our secret sauce, the people and the relationships we have.”
During his free time, Rob likes to “veg out”, read history (he’s currently reading a book about Ulysses S. Grant), and he added, “Believe it or not, I love to cut my grass.” His wife, TV Anchorwoman Chandra Bill, likes to work on the trimming, planting flowers, and grooming the beds. So, they make a good team.
As for his favorite thing on the menu, he loves to eat the chicken sandwich with tomato American cheese, and a little mayo. It appears Rob is done with eating hot dogs at the ball park every day for the past 10 years.
For more information about Chick-fil-A, contact Angela Bloom, Marketing Director, at 561.271.0940 or email her at cfa_angelab@yahoo.com. You can also visit www.chickfila.com and visit The Wellington Chamber of Commerce at http://WellingtonChamber.com for all types of community information.
Press Release From: The Wellington Chamber of Commerce
Regarding: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Chick-fil- A
Date: September 21, 2012
Written By: Monica Kallas – SharpShooter Marketing Group
Photograph By: Monica Kallas – SharpShooter Marketing Group