Opening date set for New York City's first freestanding Chick-fil-A

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New Yorkers won't have to wait much longer to get their fix of Chick-fil-A, as the city's first freestanding restaurant location will open Oct. 3, the company announced Tuesday.

The new franchise will be located near Herald Square at the corner of West 37th Street and 6th Avenue. Currently, the popular fried chicken restaurant has limited selections at its New York University and St. John's University locations.

The three-story, 5,000-square-foot NYC restaurant will be Chick-fil-A's largest in the country. It will reportedly have 10 registers and 80 seats for dining. And like other locations, it will be closed on Sundays.

According to a company press release, the opening will create 180 new full-and-part-time jobs, and the restaurant will be locally owned and operated.

The announcement of a Chick-fil-A location in Port Jefferson on Long Island was met with protests in December 2013. Gay rights activists opposed the restaurant after a company executive had spoken out against same-sex marriage.

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