To: Mayor Winick, Leadington, MO

From: Megan Reed

Date: December 7, 2015
RE: A Proposal to Build a Chick-fil-A
Purpose
I propose that a Chick-fil-A restaurant be built in the City of Leadington. A recent survey of
residents of the area, along with visitors, showed very positive feedback for wanting to bring a
Chick-fil-a restaurant to the area. The City of Leadington is a small, developing area. Leadington
is a centrally located city in St. Francois County. With major features such as Mineral Area
College, Missouri Baptist University, the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Central Methodist
University, the need for convenient food choices is great. In the survey, people indicated that
location was one of the deciding factors of where they chose to eat. The chart below makes it
clear that less than 10 miles is the ideal distance they will travel.

How Far Are You Willing to Drive From Your School/Work for a Meal?
I prefer to bring my meal.

5.88%

I prefer to walk to a restaurant.

2.94%

Lunch Options

5-10 Miles
0-5 Miles

64.71%
26.47%

0% 50% 100%

Percentage
Based on these results, I propose that we utilize the currently vacant Grecian Steakhouse lot. This
lot would be less than 5 miles from all of the above mentioned locations. Also, by utilizing this
space, we can add to the citys limited dining options in the many years since the steakhouse was
closed.
Meeting the Need
The closet Chick-fil-A restaurant is roughly 50 miles from Leadington. Chick-fil-A is a very
well-known restaurant. Only six people surveyed out of 35 stated that they had never eaten at
Chick-fil-A. If this restaurant would be built in this area, many surrounding towns, such as Park
Hills, Farmington, Fredericktown, Leadwood, Bismarck, Desloge and Bonne Terre, would have

many residents that would drive to eat there because it would be less than 30 miles from all of
these cities. Most of the restaurants in the area are located in Farmington, which is 7 miles away.
The towns of Leadington and Park Hills are very small and do not have a lot to offer their
residents as far as food options go. Chick-fil-A would be a great option to give these residents.
Mineral Area College
Due to the numerous students that attend all of the above mentioned college and universities,
more food options would be a very beneficial thing. Currently, Leadington only has three major
restaurants. The selection is very small and limited to only two of these restaurants being
considered fast food so they are not ideal options for students that are in a hurry. One downfall
of Mineral Area College is that their cafeteria is closed by 6:30pm on weekdays and closed
completely on weekends. Chick-fil-A would give these residential students another option for
food. Even though Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, the extra time on the weekday evenings and
Friday and Saturday could benefit these students.
At this point in time, students at Mineral Area College would have to drive off campus to get to a
restaurant. As previously mentioned, Leadington only has Hardees, Huddle House and a KFC
that are right off the exit. However, all of these options are across the highway from the college.
There are a number of students that do not have a car on campus, or do not have the money to
drive around a lot to get food. Also, crossing the overpass is very dangerous due to the lack of a
sidewalk or shoulder for pedestrians. If a Chick-fil-A was to be built in my proposed location,
students that live on campus would be able to walk to get their food and would only have to
cross one road that has low traffic opposed to the busy overpass.
Aside from the students, Mineral Area College employees would also reap the benefits of having
a Chick-fil-A across the road. As a Mineral Area College employee, I understand the stress that
comes along with only having an hour for a lunch break. Though this is plenty of time if you
choose to bring your lunch, leaving to get take-out is a process. Aside from the few restaurants
immediately across the highway from the college, employees have to drive a minimum of 7
miles to get to the nearest town with more food choices. Farmington has many food options.
However, by the time you get to Farmington and get through a drive-thru, the hour lunch is
essentially over due to the congestion during lunch hours. Physically sitting down and eating
your lunch at the restaurant is basically out of the question. That being said, employees tend to
have to bring their food back and eat it while they are on the clock. Having another option close
to campus would cut their travel time in half.
Case Study
Creating a partnership with Mineral Area College would increase profits for Chick-fil-A and
increase student satisfaction at Mineral Area College. Like many other colleges and universities,
Mineral Area College has a meal plan that they offer their students. Their current system is where
students pay ahead of time and their meal money is added to their account. When the students
go to the cafeteria on campus, they scan their card to pay for their food. This cafeteria has many
options for the students as far as food goes. However, their limited hours puts students in a bind

on when they can eat. Some students may have jobs or evening classes that would hinder them
from being able to eat at the cafeteria during the allotted hours.
At the University of Alabama, students have the option to pay for Dining Dollars. With this
account, students can use these cards at different restaurants near campus. This gives them more
options than just what is included in the normal meal plan (K. Manion, personal communication,
December 4, 2015). The flexibility in this program garners more student satisfaction because
they can eat when it is convenient for them instead of having to make it to the cafeteria before it
closes. I think that this would greatly help the students that work or are stuck doing homework
and miss the hours that they can go eat. This would also promote Chick-fil-A and increase their
profits.
Helping Other Students
To add another food option would be very beneficial to students at Mineral Area College as well
as Central Methodist University, Missouri Baptist University, the University of Missouri-St.
Louis and students from the area high school. Unlike Mineral Area College students, Central
Methodist University, Missouri Baptist University, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis
students are not residential students. These students are typically non-traditional students or
students that work a full-time job and then take their classes in the evenings. All of these
outreach campuses are located in the Leadington area. Many of these students stop on their way
to class to get dinner of some kind. Having another restaurant in the area would give them more
of a variety.
The Central R-III School District also reaches the Leadington community. Central High School
offers its students open lunches. This means that every lunch period, students are allowed to
leave campus to go get food or whatever they need to do. Many times throughout each quarter,
these students also get rewarded with an hour lunch. During these times, students get an extralong period that they can go and get food from the restaurant of their choice. I know from
experience of being a student, the hour lunch still pressed us for time. It was hard to get all the
way to the next town to get our food and eat it with still enough time to make it back to campus
before our next class. Adding a Chick-fil-A just minutes from the high school would greatly help
these students. They would not have to rush to get back and they could still enjoy their meal at
the restaurant.
Community Aspect
Bringing Chick-fil-A to Leadington would add to the community feel that the Mineral Area has.
The survey that has been addressed previously showed aspects of a company that draws people
from this area in. The following graph depicts these preferences.

What Attracts You to a Restaurant?

Other

15.15%

Background of the Company

Options

51.52%

Location
Healthy Options

63.64%
27.27%

Price

81.82%

0% 10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
Percentage

Price was the most chosen answer in the survey for why someone would choose a restaurant.
Chick-fil-A is very comparable to the restaurants of its type in the area. Families would be able
to afford to eat there just like any other restaurant in Leadington. The healthy options are offered
at Chick-fil-A in their numerous grilled menu items. The other restaurants in Leadington do not
offer near as many healthy options. This would be a major plus for those looking for a healthier
meal. Location was also a major concern. As stated before, Leadington is a central location for
many towns in St. Francois County. Driving to Leadington would be a much closer option for
many residents as opposed to driving to Farmington. Southeastern Missouri is known for being
part of the Bible Belt. Especially in Leadington and Park Hills, it seems like there are churches
on every corner. Chick-fil-A is a company that is very open about their Christian background.
Background of the company was another thing that was chosen by the surveyed people for being
important. Many people in this area would be more apt to eat at this restaurant because of
knowing and supporting what the restaurant stands for.
Another great event that would bring in community members would be Cow Appreciation
Day. This is a day that any customer that is dressed as a cow from head to toe can come and
choose a meal to receive for free. If a child comes in fully dressed as a cow, they get to choose a
meal from the kids menu for free. If customers come dressed partially as a cow they have other,
smaller menu options to choose from. This is a great way to encourage people in the community
to come and enjoy the food and to see all of the creativity that people can come up with.
Cost
The Grecian Steak House lot would cost roughly $85,000. After purchasing this land, the
company could choose to use the current building that is there or tear it down and build a new
one. If the company so chose to build a whole new building it would cost them around $100,000.
To start a Chick-fil-A franchise, they require at least $10,000 up front. So, to get everything
started, the project would cost about $195,000.

Time Frame
After all construction and orientation of new employees, Chick-fil-A can be ready to open in 9
months. The estimated construction time would be 6 months. In order to utilize the good weather,
construction should start during the first of May. This way, we are mostly through the rainy
months and should have the project complete before the winter weather sets in. The Grand
Opening of the new restaurant could be in early January. This would be a great way to bring in
the New Year. Also, this would be when all Mineral Area College students would be returning
from Christmas break. With all of these students back on campus, business would be sure to soar.
Conclusion
Based on the above mentioned reasons, I believe that building a Chick-fil-A restaurant in
Leadington would be a good idea. Almost all of the people surveyed had a positive response to
the idea. Bringing this restaurant to this area has the potential to bring convenience to students
from all of the area schools, college, and universities. This restaurant will also expand the
offerings of this town. In small towns, convenience and location are key and the proposed
location will bring just that.