Lancaster County residents can soon expect another Chick-fil-A location. And this one is set to open at Millersville University.
The university will partner with nonprofit Student Services to bring the popular chicken franchise, which will be open to the public, to the campus in early 2025, it announced recently.
The location will in The Galley, at Millersville’s Student Memorial Center. The Galley will be closed this fall to complete renovations to the space. Following renovations, The Galley will continue to offer traditional menu items in addition to Chick-fil-A.
The location will not have a drive-through option, and like the rest of the chain, will be closed on Sundays.
“While I know there were discussions around bringing in restaurants to campus before my arrival, I can honestly say that we began serious discussions about the possibility two years ago,” said Mary Beth Williams, who has served as vice president of student affairs since 2022 and played a key role in bringing the chain to Millersville.
“Because Millersville University has a self-operated dining operation, bringing in an outside vendor is a bit more complicated than if we had a dining operation already governed by a third party who already has contracts with a host of restaurants like our sister PASSHE (Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education) institutions,” Williams said. “For me, it was worth the time and effort to respond to student requests, give students new opportunities in dining, and increase student satisfaction.”
Millersville will handle all operations for the restaurant, and students will fill the employment positions. Renovations to The Galley will begin in July.
“Many folks have worked countless hours to make this idea a reality, and I am thankful to them all,” Williams added.
Based in College Park, Georgia, Chick-fil-A is a private, family-owned company that operates more than 3,000 locations in the United States — 315 of those on college campuses.
“It is my hope that CFA (Chick-fil-A) will not be the last outside restaurant with a venue on campus,” Williams said.
CHAD UMBLE | Staff Writer