Chick-fil-A continues to expand, with 78 restaurants on tap in 2010

Atlanta The sluggish economy isn’t stopping Chick-fil-A. The quick-serve restaurant chain recorded its 42nd year of consecutive sales growth in 2009, garnering $3.2 billion in sales. Same-store sales rose 2.5%.

After opening 83 new restaurants last year, Chick-fil-A plans to open 78 locations in 2010, including 66 stand-alone, two mall stores and 12 licensed outlets. It will make its first foray into the greater Chicago area with a stand-alone restaurant in Aurora in the third quarter.

In addition, the company will renovate 86 existing locations with an eye to enhancing the customer experience and making the units more efficient.

“2010 will be a banner year for Chick-fil-A; perhaps our most notable year ever,” said Dan Cathy, president and COO. “We are enhancing our menu with new products, entering new markets, reinvesting in our current restaurants and giving back to our communities.”