Chicken Salad Chick, a fast casual chicken salad restaurant, will open Wednesday in Viewmont.
The restaurant will be in the former Panera Bread location.
Owner Allison Anderson was previously a librarian, said she thinks Hickory is a good market for the business.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing really like it in this area,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fresh food. The chicken salad is made daily and it鈥檚 a lot healthier than burgers or fries. It鈥檚 a very unique concept.鈥�
Chicken Salad Chick offers around 12 varieties of chicken salad. One of the popular choices is Classic Carol, which is the restaurant鈥檚 take on traditional chicken salad. Other popular items include Fancy Nancy, a chicken salad with apples, grapes and pecans and Sassy Scotty, which is chicken salad mixed with ranch, bacon and shredded cheese.
鈥淓very time we take samples, Sassy Scotty seems to be the most popular in this area,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got all the good stuff. It鈥檚 got the cheese, the bacon, the ranch. What鈥檚 not to like?鈥�
The restaurant鈥檚 sides include grape salad, macaroni and cheese, fruit salad, broccoli salad or chips.
Most meals are between $10 and $11 and include a roughly baseball-sized scoop of chicken salad or sandwich with croissant. Meals come with a choice of side, cup of soup or another scoop of chicken salad.
Deliska Williams, Kristin Johnson and Phyllis Culbreath were at the restaurant Monday. Williams ordered the Fancy Nancy. Johnson ordered Buffalo Barclay. Culbreath ordered the Classic Carol.
鈥淚鈥檝e been to one before and couldn鈥檛 wait to try the one here,鈥� Williams said.
For Anderson, owning a business is a new venture. She was training to be a regional library director in rural Virginia, but she said she was also interested in business opportunities.
She rejected a few options from a business partner before she was intrigued by Chicken Salad Chick.
鈥淗e was like, 鈥榃hat about Chicken Salad Chick?鈥欌�� Anderson said. 鈥淎nd I said, 鈥榃hat is Chicken Salad Chick?鈥欌�� I had no clue.鈥�
She tried the restaurant for the first time in Bristol, Tennessee. Anderson said she is 鈥減icky about chicken salad,鈥� but loved the restaurant鈥檚 concept of fresh ingredients and involvement in local communities.
Anderson said the restaurant is partnering with Catawba County United Way and the Humane Society of Catawba County.
Win free chicken salad
On Wednesday, the first 100 people in line will receive free chicken salad for a year.
The first person in line by 8 a.m. who has downloaded the Chicken Salad Chick app and purchased The Chick Meal or an item of equal or greater value will receive a free large Quick Chick once a week for a year.
The next 99 people will receive a free large Quick Chick once a month for a year.
According to Chicken Salad Chick鈥檚 menu, a large Quick Chick is a four person serving of chicken salad.
Chicken Salad Chick was founded in 2008 in Auburn, Alabama. The restaurant has over 280 restaurants in 20 states.
Most menu items are named after influential women in the lives of Chicken Salad Chick founders Stacy and Kevin Brown.
The Hickory Chicken Salad Chick is located at 972 2nd St. NE. It is the 17th location in North Carolina and the second North Carolina store west of I-77.
The restaurant will open at 10:30 Wednesday and will be open six days per week, Monday through Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.