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Wilkes-Barre families celebrate Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead

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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The Rev. Jack Ryan didn&#8217;t have a crumb left following his first meal ever at a Chick-fil-A.</p><p>Ryan was dining at a private party at the new Chick-fil-A in the King&#8217;s College facility in the former Ramada hotel building on Public Square Tuesday night. The restaurant will open Thursday</p><p>&#8220;This is where the college meets the city,&#8221; said Ryan, the president of the college.</p><p>He is pleased that the opening will mean about 30 full-time jobs coming into the area.</p><p>&#8220;This goes beyond King&#8217;s,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s for the college and the community.&#8221;</p><p>He hopes that Wilkes University students and local residents will take opportunity to enjoy the restaurant, which will offer several chicken sandwiches, breakfast items and other selections.</p><p>&#8220;This is a win-win for everyone,&#8221; said Ryan.</p><p>Brett Lewis, from Chick-fil-A&#8217;s leadership program, addressed about 40 people gathered for the event.</p><p>&#8220;One of our slogans is &#8216;Eat more Chikin,&#8217; which we introduced in 1995,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The cows really like it. They don&#8217;t want to be eaten.&#8221;</p><p>Lewis also provided a brief history of the business, which founded by S. Truett Cathy who attributed his success to &#8220;Christianity, chicken sandwiches and good customer service. &#8220;</p><p>The business, Lewis said, began in a mall in 1967, which was an innovative concept at the time.</p><p>John McAndrew, King&#8217;s College director of public relations, described the restaurant as the &#8220;crowning achievement of the building.&#8221;</p><p>King&#8217;s bought the building in 2013 and has attempted to incorporate community themes into its decor, including paintings by local artist Sue Hand portraying the daily lives of 19th and early 20th Century anthracite miners.</p><p>&#8220;The college seeks to be a part of the community,&#8221; McAndrew said.</p><p>Virginia Spataro, of Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services, the franchise which provides food service to the college, said the college tries to bring a down home feel to its food services.</p><p>&#8220;We are delighted to partner with King&#8217;s in this effort,&#8221; said Tom Notchick, Chartwells district manager at Chartwells.</p><p>Eric Shotto, retail manager for Chartwells, said the the restaurant&#8217;s history and value, dovetail with King&#8217;s commitment to family and community.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Chick-fil-A shows off menu selections at private party