Colonie

Albany International Airport will get the Capital Region's first Chick-fil-A and a new Todd English American Market, after the Albany County Airport Authority on Monday morning approved a contract with OHM Concession Group, which will operate the two franchises.

OHM will also operate a Wolfgang Puck pizza franchise.

Chick-fil-A will replace the Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen, while Wolfgang Puck will replace Green Leaf's Beyond Great Salads, both just beyond the security checkpoint where the A, B and C concourses come together.

Todd English will occupy a seating area on the second level across from Dunkin' Donuts and adjacent to the pedestrian bridge to the parking garage, before the security checkpoint.

Todd English was in the news this past weekend, accused of sexual harassment by a waitress who worked at his Todd English Food Hall in the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, according to a report in the New York Post. She joined six other female employees who filed a lawsuit against English in August.

Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, found itself in the news back in 2012 when President and CEO Dan Cathy said he opposed gay marriage, triggering boycotts and other protests from gay rights supporters.

The company maintains a deeply religious culture, and the Albany airport Chick-fil-A, like all its other outlets, will be closed on Sundays.

"The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender," the company said in a statement.

"We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena," the statement said. "(W)e believe that closing on Sundays, operating debt-free and devoting a percentage of our profits back to our communities are what make us a stronger company and Chick-fil-A family."

The new food concessions are expected to be in place and in operation by March 1, 2018.

A Chick-fil-A was included in plans that developer Scott Earl had for a shopping center off Route 146 last year, but the project remains on the drawing board. Earl couldn't be reached Monday for comment.