WALDORF, Md. (Oct. 18, 2021) – A new Chick-fil-A® restaurant is slated to open for business in Waldorf on Thursday, Oct. 21. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Ken Weikel as the independent franchised Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Smallwood Drive. Weikel will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing more than 100 full- and part-time Team Members, cultivating relationships with local organizations and neighboring businesses, and serving guests. Chick-fil-A Smallwood Drive is located at 3710 Crain Highway Waldorf, at the intersection of Crain Highway and Smallwood Drive, and will be open from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Chick-fil-A remains committed to serving guests safely. Chick-fil-A Smallwood Drive will open for dine-in, carry-out, drive-thru and mobile ordering service, with third-party delivery available shortly after the opening. Guests can take advantage of contactless ordering and payment through the free Chick-fil-A® App or online ordering. To learn more about Chick-fil-A’s safety protocols, please visit the COVID-19 response page.
In place of the traditional Chick-fil-A First 100® Grand Opening celebration, Chick-fil-A Smallwood Drive will be surprising 100 local heroes making an impact in Charles County with free Chick-fil-A for a year. Additionally, in honor of the new restaurant opening, Chick-fil-A will donate $25,000 to Feeding America. The funds will be distributed to partners within the greater Washington, D.C. area to aid in the fight against hunger.
Chick-fil-A Smallwood Drive is locally owned and operated by Virginia native Ken Weikel. A restaurant industry veteran, Weikel started his career with Chick-fil-A as a restaurant Team Member while in college. During this time, Weikel was awarded a Chick-fil-A scholarship to apply toward his bachelor’s degree at Radford University in Radford, Va. Upon graduating, Weikel worked as a Chick-fil-A Business Intern and supported various restaurant locations. In 1991, Weikel arrived in Waldorf and served the community through Chick-fil-A St. Charles Towne Center Mall, where he became the Operator in 1992. Nearly 10 years later, Weikel was selected as the Operator of Chick-fil-A Waldorf. After serving the Waldorf community for almost 30 years, Weikel looks forward to extending his impact on the community, operating both Chick-fil-A Waldorf and Chick-fil-A Smallwood Drive.
“My family and I have called Waldorf home for nearly 30 years, and I am humbled by the opportunity to give back to the community through this new restaurant,” said Weikel. “With the opening of Chick-fil-A Smallwood Drive, I am excited to bring new jobs to Waldorf, mentor our Team Members and serve our guests great-tasting food with our signature hospitality.”