Lakewood Ranch-area residents will soon have a new lunch spot on their side of Fruitville Road. Chicken Salad Chick, the Alabama-born chain with more than 330 locations nationwide, is planning its first Sarasota restaurant at 6650 Fruitville Road, Suite 132, east of Interstate 75 in the 34240 ZIP code, the Suncoast Post reported Tuesday.

Franchise owner Karen Jordan will operate the restaurant through her company Manasota Chick II, LLC, according to a Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce listing. Jordan already runs two Chicken Salad Chick restaurants in Manatee County: one at 5434 Lockwood Ridge Road in Bradenton, which opened in April 2022, and a second at 8730 U.S. 301 N. in Parrish's Creekside Commons shopping plaza, which held its grand opening Dec. 16, 2025.

The Fruitville Road address sits directly accessible to residents of Windward, Waterside Place and other eastern Sarasota County neighborhoods that make up the Lakewood Ranch market's southern edge. The property is an approximately 86,651-square-foot regional shopping center, according to LoopNet property records.

No official opening date has been announced.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported in July that the restaurant was targeting a September 2026 debut, though Jordan has not publicly confirmed that timeline. A submitted plan review for the site was noted by restaurant-tracking outlet WhatNow.

Jordan, who holds a Certified Hospitality Trainer credential and has more than 20 years in the restaurant industry, spoke about her growth strategy in a Dec. 3, 2025, Manatee Chamber of Commerce press release announcing the Parrish opening: "This journey with the brand has already been so rewarding, and expanding into Parrish felt like the natural next step. The community has that charming, small-town feel while being right in the middle of tremendous growth between Sarasota and Tampa."

The chain's menu features more than a dozen made-from-scratch chicken salad varieties, including sweet, savory and spicy options with ingredients like fruit, pecans, bacon, jalapeños and Buffalo-style flavors. Soups, sandwiches, fresh salads and sides round out the offerings, along with larger take-home containers called "Quick Chicks." Existing locations operate Monday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and are closed Sundays.

Chicken Salad Chick was founded in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008 after Stacy Brown began selling homemade chicken salad and local health regulations required a brick-and-mortar restaurant. It has since grown to 22 states.

The Fruitville Road location will be Jordan's third restaurant in the Sarasota-Manatee region. Residents can check chickensaladchick.com for opening announcements.