“Not since A.G. Freed settled in Henderson, Tennessee, has there been a more historic day,” joked Dr. Justin Rogers, tapping into the feelings of excitement felt by members of both the FHU and the Chester County communities. After years of tireless work and eager anticipation, the Jones Family Dining Hall, complete with the area’s first ever Chick-fil-A® restaurant, opened its doors Feb. 17, 2025.

On opening day, guests poured into the brand new facility, admiring its attractive design and streamlined food stations, and eagerly sampling the many meal options available. Customers lined up for Chick-fil-A’s signature items, greeted by cheerful employees offering the familiar “My pleasure!”

The idea for a new dining hall on FHU’s campus first took root in 2019, and fundraising efforts began in 2020. The project was initially challenged by COVID-19 concerns and then by subsequent supply issues, but construction began to move forward in early 2024. FHU President David R. Shannon later declared that despite difficulties,

“God continued to provide, every step of the way.”

The new state-of-the-art construction is a 21,000-square-foot facility that features both indoor and outdoor dining areas and two modern, efficient, well-equipped kitchens. The main dining hall houses seven food stations, each serving a wide selection of meal choices, and a neighboring Lion’s Pride Express offers a convenient, quick source for delicious, nutritional meals on the go. Although there are hundreds of Chick-fil-A restaurants on college campuses, FHU’s is unique because it features a full menu and directly faces Main Street, conveniently serving both university students and community residents.

According to Shannon, Jones Dining Hall was intended to create a warm, inviting space to enjoy community and nurture relationships. “FHU has always been about people and about relationships,” he said. “In addition to this beautiful brick and mortar is also the reality that there is a community that is strengthened as we gather around dining tables.”

At the beginning of Makin’ Music weekend, university supporters, donors and friends gathered in the new dining hall to celebrate the completion of this major FHU Next campaign project. A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the beginning of an exciting new era for FHU and its hometown of Henderson.

Among the honored guests at the ceremony was Grant Edwards, a Chick-fil-A franchisee and operator for 15 years. Edwards spoke about his admiration for Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, whose favorite Bible verse was Proverbs 22:1: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.”

“Chick-fil-A has a good name, and Freed-Hardeman has a good name,” Edwards said. “It is a privilege to be in business together, and I love it when two good names come together.”

According to Shannon, one longtime FHU supporter deserves recognition for initiating the school’s relationship with Chick-fil-A. “Special thanks should be given to Rosemary Brown. She first successfully connected us with Chick-fil-A, and none of this would have happened without her,” Shannon said.

John and Rosemary Brown (FHC class of 1955) first contacted their good friend Rod Hovater, a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl advisory member and volunteer, in an attempt to begin conversations with the restaurant’s corporate office. While Hovater was warned that chances were slim—out of tens of thousands of annual requests, only about 200 are typically granted—conversations between their corporate offices and FHU were successful.

Though the Browns were unable to visit the facility in person, they sent their best wishes through a short video that was played at the ceremony. “We consider ourselves very fortunate to have had the relationship with Freed-Hardeman, not just ’53 through ’55, but through the years,” Rosemary said. “We say thank you to all the people involved in Freed-Hardeman.”

The generous contributions of the Jones family, founders of Jones Brothers Construction, were also invaluable in bringing this project to life. Patricia Force Weldon, a representative of the Jones family and a 1972 Freed-Hardeman alumna, credited the hard-working individuals who first paved the way.

“The real heroes of the story are my grandparents, Guy and Lucille Jones,” Weldon shared. “They taught us to be honest, hardworking in everything we do, to always be faithful, and to love the Lord with all our hearts. As long as it starts there, everything else is gravy.”

FHU also recognized several other individuals and businesses who had a hand in bringing this immense project to life, including 4FDesign, the Alliance Corporation, E&T Contracting, First Bank, Creative Dining Services, the FHU Board of Directors, FHU Advancement, and the elected representatives of Henderson and Chester County.

“Oftentimes God works through the lives and hearts of good people,”

Shannon said. This sentiment can clearly be seen in the tireless contributions of the many men and women who made this project possible.