OXFORD, Ala. — Chick-fil-A has announced plans for a second Oxford location, to be constructed on the Alabama Highway 21 corridor near the Oxford Exchange shopping center. The new restaurant is expected to open in 2027.

Oxford Mayor Leon Smith said the announcement confirmed what he described as the city's "undeniable momentum as a commercial destination."

"When a company of this caliber chooses Oxford twice," Smith said, "that tells you something about where we're going."

Chick-fil-A operates more than 3,000 locations across the United States and Canada. The original Oxford location, at 300 Plaza Drive, has operated since 2009. It has a drive-through. The drive-through has a line.

The new location will also have a drive-through. Company specifications indicate it will seat approximately 90 guests.

Anniston has one Chick-fil-A. It has had one Chick-fil-A since 2001. It is located on Quintard Avenue. It is not in Oxford.

Wendell Moss, director of the Calhoun County Economic Development Council, noted that both Oxford locations would technically fall within the county's economic footprint.

"Chick-fil-A is a win for Calhoun County," Moss said. "Both of them."

He was asked whether the county had played any role in attracting the second location.

"We're always out there making the pitch," Moss said.

He did not elaborate on the nature of the pitch. He said the waffle fries were "a big part of the value proposition."

The Anniston Chick-fil-A declined to comment. Its drive-through line extended into the parking lot at the time of this reporting.