PG&E Helps New Chick-fil-A Open Without Delays in Antioch

Thanks in part to the nimble work of PG&E’s Service Planning & Design team, residents of Antioch (Contra Costa County) can now “eat mor chikin.”

In late 2024, chicken sandwich franchise Chick-fil-A — whose ad campaign features semiliterate cows urging people to chow down on fowl instead of beef — was ready to open its first store in the East Bay city of more than 115,000. Its local franchisee had quit his job in Texas and relocated to manage the opening of the Antioch store. He’d also lined up employees for the eatery’s opening.

There was just one problem: Unexpected permitting issues for electrical work threatened to delay the restaurant’s opening by a year.

PG&E’s Service Planning & Design team, which oversees new-service connections, jumped into action to fix the issue.

“We knew that the franchisee had people counting on the day the business would be energized, because they would be able to start working,” said Service Planning & Design Supervisor Karen Jones. “It was all about delivering for our hometowns in the sense of helping these future employees and the economy and helping bring a popular business to residents who were excited about a new restaurant coming to town.”

Rae Dowell, the senior new-business representative who led the work, said multiple PG&E teams partnered with the franchisee’s utility design contractor to find a solution and finish the job.

“We all came to the table,” she said.

A different idea

At issue was the building’s junction box — an enclosure that safely houses electrical connections to prevent shocks, short circuits or fires. The franchisee’s third-party designer drew up new-service connection plans that called for moving the junction box to a nearby location that would need right-of-way permission from Caltrans. Getting that permission could add significantly to the new-service timeline.

Dowell immediately let the customer know about the issue. Working with the customer and PG&E’s estimating team, Dowell suggested a different connection point that wouldn’t need a Caltrans permit. She then worked with the applicant designer and PG&E’s estimating team on a redesign for the new tie-in.

The team’s flexibility shaved as much as a year off the project’s timeline, said Mark Bible, a PG&E associate electric distribution engineer. Bible, along with associate electric distribution engineer Eben von Koss, PG&E Diablo Division Electric Supervisor Harpreet Johal and division Maintenance and Construction crews, played a key role in the project.

Service Planning & Design Manager Becca Houston credited Dowell’s “tenacity, perseverance, collaboration and communication through multiple departments” for the job’s successful completion.

“Rae’s drive and customer service for our PG&E customers shines on a daily basis,” she added.

The Antioch Chick-fil-A also marked an ongoing evolution in the relationship between the franchisor and PG&E.

When Houston began working at PG&E in late 2023, it was common for Chick-fil-A to escalate new-service issues to external channels, including local elected officials.

The company no longer does so.

“They’ve seen the work we’re doing to deliver,” Houston said. “They knew we were working hard every day to get them across the finish line. When there were hurdles, they reached out to us. We’ve built that trust. We’ve shown that we are focused on delivering for our customers and our communities and supporting economic growth.”

PG&E Service Planning & Design Director Nina Bubnova said Houston’s efforts have helped build a collaborative relationship.

“Becca’s drive for excellent customer service resulted in a strong partnership with Chick-fil-A’s construction and design teams,” Bubnova said. “That has led to finding effective paths to successful and timely energizations of franchise projects.”

The improved relationship showed in the SP&D team’s invitation to the franchise’s April 2 opening celebration.

It’s the second Chick-fil-A franchise the team has worked on in the last year. The first, in Concord (Contra Costa County), opened in September. They’re working on additional locations in Petaluma (Sonoma County) and Walnut Creek (Contra Costa County).

“We’re excited to continue helping our customers create new jobs and prosperity for our communities,” Houston said.