Chick-Fil-A to open location in Ottawa this fall

A sign appeared in the Rideau Centre food court on Friday, saying a Chick-Fil-A will open in the fall of 2024. (Josh Pringle/CTV News Ottawa)

Chick-Fil-A is coming to Ottawa.

A giant billboard appeared in the Rideau Centre food court on Friday, saying a Chick-Fil-A will be opening in the fall of 2024.

CTV News Ottawa has reached out to Chick-Fil-A for comment.

In 2022, the U.S.-based fast food chain has announced plans to open more than a dozen new stores in Canada by 2025, expanding to 20 Canadian locations.

Protests were held in Toronto and Windsor to oppose the opening of Chick-Fil-A restaurants.

The restaurant chain has been controversial. CEO Dan Cathy said in 2012 that the company supports "the biblical definition of the family unit." He repeated his stance in a 2018 TV interview but said he is not anti-gay. Critics have also pointed to corporate donations to groups opposed to same-sex marriage.

Chick-Fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays. The founder made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond