As you open the door to the Oakland Center, the smells hit you immediately: crispy chicken, fried to golden excellence in 100% refined peanut oil and seasoned to perfection; the buttery goodness of the toasted buns; the sharp, sweet scent of serrated dill pickle chips. Together, these three simple ingredients meet to form a mouthwatering menu item, the Chick-fil-A Chicken sandwich.

This southern delicacy, along with other Chick-fil-A menu items like the Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries and the Chick-fil-A Nuggets, can only be found at one location in Michigan. That location is on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, where the state’s only Chick-fil-A serves up savory, golden-fried delights in the Pioneer Food Court. 

While this one is a Chick-fil-A Express, meaning it offers a limited menu, it still serves the three classic franchise dishes mentioned above. Customers at the Pioneer Food Court location can also expect to sip on fresh-brewed Chick-fil-A sweet tea and lemonade, and enjoy premium salads and wraps.

The customers aren’t just university students; many consumers come from all over the state to the Pioneer Food Court everyday just for Chick-fil-A. Atricia Kellie, a Chick-fil-A employee at the Michigan location, often sees customers driving long distances just for her employer’s food. 

“I put sandwich pictures on Facebook. The next day, my friend’s kids from Saginaw came down and bought fifteen sandwiches,” Kellie said.

 A Detroit security guard who overheard Kellie’s quoted nodded in agreement, adding that he drives all the way from the city often for two waffle fries, two four-piece strips, and a large lemonade.

Sidonie Shuler, a catering administrator at Chartwell’s, the company that operates the Pioneer Food Court, says that most of the phone calls that her office receives involve Chick-fil-A.

“People call in all the time asking where Chick-fil-A is located,” Shuler said, saying that the restaurant brings in many people that wouldn’t otherwise come to Oakland University.

Chick-fil-A is open to the public every Monday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is closed Saturdays and Sunday.

Spak’s suggestion: 

Chik-fil-A sandwich (with extra pickles, of course)

Waffle potato fries

Chick-fil-A lemonade (fresh-brewed daily)

Chick-fil-A sauce