Students enjoy Chick-fil-A sandwiches in the dining hall. Faith Senne | Collegian

Students will no longer have to travel more than an hour to taste a Chick-fil-A deluxe sandwich with waffle fries and Polynesian sauce.

A new location will open next year in Jackson, the fast-food franchise announced on Sept. 4. The driving distance from campus to the new store will be about 45 minutes, which is about 15 minutes shorter than the current closest Chick-fil-A in Battle Creek.

There are currently 28 Chick-Fil-A locations in Michigan, according to the company, but that number could more than double with as many as 30 new restaurants in the state by 2028.

“I’m definitely excited that there will be a Chick-fil-A closer than the one in Ann Arbor,” junior Cameron Frye said.

Frye once drove more than an hour to pick up Chick-fil-A for him and his friends. Although he is a big fan of Chick-fil-A, he said the new location is likely still too far away for more frequent trips.

“Although I am excited about a closer location, I don’t think it’s worth the gas for the hour-and-a-half round trip,” Frye said.

Aaron Dimick, City of Jackson public information officer, told The Collegian the new Chick-fil-A’s property is located on North West Ave. near West Argyle St on the North side of the city.

“The property is currently vacant green space but the development company has started preparing the land for construction,” Dimick said.

Dimick said Chick-fil-A had been planning on opening a location in Jackson for a while.

“Chick-fil-A’s planned location in Jackson shows our city’s economic importance to the region,” Dimick said. “The company has been looking to locate in our community for several years, so we are pleased to see they have selected a location. More businesses strengthen our local economy and provide jobs for area workers.”

Metz Culinary currently has a partnership with Chick-fil-A which allows the restaurant to bring its specialty chicken sandwiches to the dining hall several times per semester.

Metz Executive Chef Adam Harvey told The Collegian in November 2023 the dining service’s goal could mean a physical building on campus in the future.

“We just want to establish relationships with Chick-fil-A,” he said. “Eventually, we want them on campus in some capacity, whether that be an established building or not.”

Tim Wells, college associate vice president for administration, said there are no further updates with regards to bringing a physical Chick-fil-A to campus. 

“We intend to continue our current partnership with them, which includes bringing their product to campus for select events and cafeteria functions throughout the academic year,” Wells said. “There are no additional plans for expanding outside of these functions at this time.”

Wells said he is thrilled to hear about the new Jackson location.

“It is exciting to hear a Chick-fil-A will be coming to Jackson,” Wells said. “I know many at Hillsdale will be able to enjoy and take advantage of it.”