While the opening of the Walpole Chick-fil-A is welcome news to area fans of the third-largest fast-food restaurant in the country, it is even better news for the 100 people the company will name as local heroes making an impact in the Walpole area who will be rewarded for their work with a year of free Chick-fil-A entrees.

A will open Thursday at 944 Central Ave.   The restaurant is the sixth Capital Region location for the Georgia-based chicken franchise. Following the traditional Chick-fil-A model, the 5,200-square-foot restaurant will feature a two-lane drive-thru that can accommodate up to 50 cars and a parking lot that can hold almost 100 cars.

Both Chick-fil-A and Chipotle are scheduled to open their second locations in Redding on the same day in the same shopping center.

Chick-fil-A is opening its latest Capital Region restaurant this week. The location at 944 Central Ave. at the corner of Colvin Avenue in Albany will open Thursday, Dec. 5, the company announced Monday. It's the fast food chicken chain's third freestanding location in the region; Clifton Park and North Greenbush locations opened in July 2023.