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Do you think Rincon is anxious for Chick-fil-A?


Judging by the reaction on our Facebook page and by the number of hits for the story on the Rincon City Council’s approval of preliminary site plans, the answer is a resounding “yes.”


In fact, no story on our Web site over the last year has generated as much activity as the piece on Chick-fil-A’s plans to come to Rincon.


It wasn’t that long ago, maybe a generation, that a community knew it was growing when McDonald’s decided to open or Walmart said it was coming.


Now, it’s the cows telling you to eat mor chikin that’s a sign of a growing community.


We have no doubt Chick-fil-A will do well here, when it eventually opens. We hear the laments about a dearth of dining options, even as a handful of local establishments have shuttered in recent months.


As always, we urge consumers to look at their own back yard first before opting to spend their money in another locale. If you have a hankering for four-star or five-star dining, then Savannah certainly fills the bill, which reminds us of the line from a Springfield City Council member on a budget issue — “I like Ruth’s Chris, too, but I can’t afford to eat there all the time.”


At the recent Effingham Chamber of Commerce community retreat, one of the most-discussed topics was Pooler’s continued boom and if Effingham wanted to be “Pooler, Part 2.”


That growth will return to Effingham wasn’t the question — the recent IDA announcements and Gulfstream’s continued success will have a tremendous impact on the Effingham economy. But the attendees in the room for the retreat’s final session were behind initiatives to foster shopping locally.


“If we don’t support our local businesses,” IDA member Rose Harvey said, “they will go away.”


We have no doubt the people of Rincon, and Springfield, Guyton, Clyo, et al, will support the new Chick-fil-A in droves. We also hope they don’t pass up other opportunities to keep their money in Effingham and consider buying, shopping and eating locally.