CHICK-FIL-A has been testing a new restaurant layout in select locations, but some customers are already noticing problems.
The fast food chain continues to streamline its services, specifically its drive-thru process for efficiency and quality.
Following the height of the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing requirements, Chick-fil-A has adapted at many of its more than 3,000 locations nationwide to better serve customers, for a Press release.
Drive-thru lines were restructured to have designated lanes, and instead of waiting to order on the drive-thru screen and speaker, employees carried tablets and walked to their cars to take orders.
The system has become a signature feature of Chick-fil-A.
In recent years, it has also been testing a new design that emphasizes quick ordering and drive-thrus at more than 30 locations, for Nation’s Restaurant News.
They have no dining room, an outside ordering window and an expanded double-lane drive-thru.
NEW EXCAVATIONS
A location with an updated layout was brought to Hawaii last year — and now, a new location in Conroe, Texas, about 40 miles north of Houston, opened this summer.
“It’s a drive-thru focused location, with a drive-thru and walk-up window,” local customer Bob Connors wrote in a publish on Facebook.
Connors included a snapshot of the grab-and-go window, with outdoor tables and digital screens.
Some weren’t too pleased with Chick-fil-A’s innovation, pointing to the lack of indoor eating options as a negative, and feared the free refills.
“I’m not eating out and I want a free refill,” one customer commented on Connors’ post.
“So overrated but… whatever,” another fumed.
Still, Chick-fil-A continues to tailor restaurants to the areas where they reside.
DON’T DINNER ANYMORE
In March, the brand opened a digital-only restaurant in New York City exclusively for mobile pickup and delivery orders.
The location opened on the Upper East Side and also does not have a dining area or places for customers to eat outdoors.
Chick-fil-A hours
At a minimum, Chick-fil-A locations are open between 6:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
However, some restaurants serve customers later.
Since opening in 1946, all Chick-fil-A locations have been closed on Sundays.
The founder chose to close on Sundays to allow employees to worship or rest.
All locations are also closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The design offers smaller paths for customers to enter and pick up orders placed through the Chick-fil-A mobile app or allows them to create new orders once they arrive at one of the few checkout areas at the front of the restaurant.
Digital screens are also placed to show order status in front of the paths for delivery drivers and customers.
Most of the space is taken up by a larger kitchen area where employees work to fulfill all mobile pickup orders.
Chick-fil-A said the decision to test the store was due to an increase in mobile delivery and pickup ordering sales, so it wanted to accommodate New York City customers, who mostly place this type of order. .
The company also launched a new way for customers to earn rewards this summer, as long as they can find the “cows.”
Chick-fil-A also brought back an iconic summer milkshake offering for the 15th year in a row, much to the delight of customers.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story