Chick-Fil-A, one of the largest privately held restaurant chains in the country, plans to triple its presence in the Baltimore-Washington region within five years, the Atlanta-based chain announced yesterday.

The chain with 775 locations in 35 states will expand from 18 locations in the region to between 50 and 60.

Free-standing locations are being negotiated in Columbia, Frederick and Laurel.

The company runs 800-square-foot food court restaurants in malls and 3,500-square-foot free-standing restaurants.

Founder Truett Cathy pioneered the in-mall, quick service restaurant with his first store -- specializing in chicken sandwiches -- in an Atlanta shoping mall in 1967.

"Chick-Fil-A enjoys enormous popularity and name recognition within the Baltimore-Washington marketplace" -- especially among the health-conscious, said Patrick A. M. Miller, a principal with KLNB Inc., the Towson-based real estate brokerage firm handling regional expansion.

Chick-Fil-A now has mall locations in Columbia, Owings Mills, Annapolis, Hunt Valley, White Marsh and Eastpoint.

Pub Date: 5/08/98