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Roy Rogers will celebrate its return to South Jersey for the first time in decades by giving away a year’s worth of free food.

The western-themed fast-food chain set its grand opening for June 25 at 10 a.m. The new store is located at 614 Haddonfield Road in Cherry Hill.

As part of the festivities, the first 50 customers will receive one free regular combo meal per week for 12 months, which will be automatically distributed via the Roy Rogers app.

Founded in 1968, Roy Rogers offers burgers, roast beef sandwiches and fried chicken. The Maryland-based chain is also known for its “Fixin’s Bar.” The feature allows guests to customize their orders with a variety of fresh produce, condiments and signature sauces.

At its peak, Roy Rogers had more than 650 restaurants across eight states. However, the brand settled into decline during the 1990s. At that time, its parent company, the Marriott Corp., sold the rights to Hardee’s. After, new ownership converted most of the locations into other restaurants.

Back by popular demand

By the mid-2010s, Roy Rogers’ presence in New Jersey fell to just one restaurant – Pine Beach. Amid great fanfare, the chain added spots in Brick, Edison, Flemington and Franklin. Today, locations remain in Brick and Pine Beach.

Currently, Roy Rogers’ national footprint consists of 23 company-owned restaurants and 17 franchise sites in seven states.

In Cherry Hill, the outpost’s grand opening signals the chain’s return to the South Jersey and Philadelphia markets since the 1980s.

The 3,300-square-foot restaurant will include a drive-thru, as well as technology such as electronic menu boards and ordering kiosks, the company said. Chicken chain PDQ previously occupied the space.

Roy Rogers announced its lease signing in Cherry Hill last fall. At the time, the Director of Real Estate and Franchise Development Joe Briglia shared, “We’ve received an overwhelming number of requests from loyal Roy Rogers fans for a location in this area, and we’re delighted to make it a reality. We plan to build on this success and expand even further in the market.”

Roy Rogers co-President Jim Plamondon said the chain “could not be happier to bring our USDA choice top round roast beef, juicy burgers and fresh, hand-breaded fried chicken back to Cherry Hill.”

“Roy’s legacy fans will be thrilled to see the iconic Fixin’s Bar and use our signature sauces to customize their favorite sandwiches and tenders. New guests will be pleased with our diverse menu and quality beef, burgers and chicken you can’t find anywhere else,” he said.