Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics — 6.16.22

By Peter Schorsch   

Good Thursday morning.

Chick-fil-A is expanding in Florida, and it has tapped the lobbying team at Capital City Consulting to help it navigate the ins and outs of the state’s politics and regulatory environment.

The chain has nearly 3,000 franchises across the nation. More than 200 are in Florida, and the number is growing fast.

According to Capital City Consulting lobbyist Jim Boxold, the company retained the firm to help familiarize them with state and local government issues in Florida. Currently, the company is not advocating for any policy changes in the state.

“They’re wanting to continue to grow in a responsible way and continue being the company that customers know and love,” Boxold said.

Chick-fil-A is also seeking the firm’s help in permitting, mostly on transportation issues. Whenever Chick-fil-A opens a free-standing location, it must receive a permit from the Florida Department of Transportation to connect it to the surrounding roads.

A smooth permitting process is essential as the company explores drive-thru-only locations. Chick-fil-A has announced plans for drive-thru-only locations in its home state of Georgia as well as Arkansas and Florida.

As reported by The Florida Times-Union, the company’s first such location in the Sunshine State will likely be on Atlantic Boulevard in Jacksonville.

Capital City Consulting, led by Nick Iarossi and Ron LaFace, is the third-largest lobbying firm in Florida measured by revenue. It represents more than 200 clients, including major corporations such as Delta Air Lines and CVS.

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As campaign season heats up, Florida Politics proudly announces that Aimee Sachs is joining the team.

Sachs, a Tallahassee native, comes to Florida Politics from The Florida Channel, where she has worked as a senior reporter for the past year. Her work has appeared in many other publications throughout Florida and the Southeast.

The University of Florida journalism alum got her start at The Independent Florida Alligator and WUFT, the NPR affiliate for North Central Florida.

She spent many years of her career as a sports writer for the Tallahassee Democrat and Lakeland Ledger. For several years, Sachs covered Braves games for MLB.com — an experience she called a dream come true.

Her resume also includes covering Georgia legal and political news as a reporter for Courthouse News Service.

At Florida Politics, Sachs will be shining a light on the many exciting campaigns on ballots in the Panhandle and the Tallahassee area. Look for her first byline soon.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

— @JimRosicaFL: The official schedule for Fla. @LtGovNunez shows she visited a @SpaceX launch facility today near Brownsville, Texas — just coincidentally the same day @elonmusk tweeted he was leaning toward @RonDeSantisFL for Prez in ’24. ???? #FlaPol

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

—@JimmyMidyette: Why are the Proud Boys sending love notes to Ron DeSantis in their coup planning documents?

—@jacobogles: And like clockwork, I’m starting to hear from the Jonathan Martin haters, who say, among other things, he let the @LeeCountyFLGOP offices in 2018 turn into an @adamputnam headquarters until @RonDeSantisFL won the Primary. #FlaPol

—@KevinCate: I’m a huge advocate for “self-driving” cars, but I also think other drivers have a right to know if a car has it enabled. Should be a standard indicator light on the front and back of cars — like a Dole (CHMSL) light.

—@Aedwardslevy: a longtime DC bakery called Incrumbency