Gannon University: Gannon University celebrates opening of Chick-fil-A on campus
Gannon University and Metz Culinary Management are excited to announce the official opening of Chick-fil-A on the university’s Erie campus.
The new Chick-fil-A is located in the university’s Waldron Campus Center, 124 W. Seventh St. It is Gannon’s first national chain restaurant on campus.
The restaurant offers sit-down and take-out services for Gannon and other downtown Erie customers.
The new Chick-fil-A was built to enhance the variety of dining options available to students, which include a traditional dining hall, grab-and-go as well as made-to-order locations within academic buildings, along with its university-owned restaurant and café. Metz Culinary Management, the university’s food vendor, will work closely with Chick-fil-A to maintain the day-to-day operations.
There are several values the university felt aligned with their own that positioned Chick-fil-A for this partnership – to creating experiences rooted in care for others, to creating an optimal workplace for employees, as well as advancing commitment to education and strengthening the communities in which we serve.
Walter Iwanenko, Ph.D., provost and vice president of student experience, elaborated on why Gannon chose to partner with Chick-fil-A, citing various considerations for its population of students on campus, one of which was an accommodating menu to meet the dietary preferences of student-athletes, commuters and global students alike. “Our students represent more than 60 countries across the world. Chick-fil-A will fit into our many campus cultures very well,” said Iwanenko.
“The university works very hard to work with our students to provide the best student experience possible,” Iwanenko said. “The decision to bring Chick-fil-A on campus was a direct result of our students asking for more dining options, especially later in the evening,” Iwanenko said. We also feel that the addition of Chick-fil-A in downtown Erie compliments the other development efforts including the Erie Downtown Development Corp. Together, we are reimagining the City of Erie as a destination to live, play, work and learn.”
This is the third Chick-fil-A location in Erie, with the other two locations being just a short drive from campus with one located on 12th Street and the other on Peach Street. This third location on Gannon’s campus is open to the university and Erie communities.