Ceres City Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra is on a mission to bring new businesses to Ceres, specifically making attempts to lure Chick-Fil-A to Ceres.

Vierra didn’t mention the business by name at last week’s meeting, only referring to being in talks with a large chicken fast-food restaurant, but confirmed on Thursday that she has reached out to Chick-Fil-A company officials.

With locations in the Bay area, Manteca, Stockton and Fresno, Chick-Fil-A has yet to enter the Stanislaus County market of fast-food offerings but that could be soon changing.

Vierra said she reached out to the company on behalf of residents who’ve expressed a desire for one in Ceres.

“They said they’re looking at some of surrounding larger cities however if they get enough calls, demands or emails requesting Ceres, they will consider it,” Vierra said at the May 13 council meeting. “So please keep that in mind if you are looking at a certain kind of fast-food or restaurant … they want to hear from the residents that say, ‘hey, I really want this kind of restaurant or this kind of fast-food locally.’ So if they don’t hear from you, they don’t realize at how much of a demand we have here in Ceres.”

In an email to the Courier, Vierra said Chick-Fil-A is eyeing a second location in Manteca and one in Merced. She also noted that Ceres Economic Development Manager Julian Aguirre has been exploring two potential sites for a Chick-Fil-A in Ceres: one in north Ceres and another in the city’s southern area.

“The next location will likely be in Modesto, Turlock, or Ceres, or a combination of these cities,” wrote Vierra in her email. “The decision will depend on various factors, including city ordinances, planning, traffic flow, site availability, and public demand. Manteca’s success in securing a second location near Costco was largely due to customer demand for a second location.”

The councilwoman also said that the city’s new stationary License Plate Readers have provided valuable insights into traffic flow on key streets “which has been helpful in our discussions.

“During my initial discussions, I learned that Modesto has concerns about traffic congestion, which our city traffic engineer will need to address if they choose Ceres as a prime location between Merced and Manteca. I have agreed to work with them and the city to make this happen if they are genuinely interested.”

Vierra said she feels Ceres needs a diverse range of restaurant options and will do what she can to assist the city in attracting potential businesses.

As Ceres approaches the 50,000 population figure it should be receiving more attention from prospective businesses. In recent years Ceres has snagged a Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant, Dutch Bros. Coffee, Angry Chickz, In-N-Out Burger, Ono Hawaiian BBQ, Chipotle, Tractor Supply and a Quick Quack Car Wash.

Vierra said those interested in bringing a location to Ceres, may contact Chick-Fil-A at 1-866-232-2030 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. EST.