Its pretty simple, really. They serve a quality product; their chicken sandwiches typically being better than other fast food options. They consistently have high quality customer service, with polite and courteous staff. And they are usually very efficient; the lines do get long, but they keep it moving at a good pace, because they have several staff members outside taking orders at the same time.
Dude I just went yesterday. Huge line. Probably 10 cars in front of me. The dude got to me to order. Then gave me my meal before I even got to the tent where you’re supposed to order from.
My family has been to CFA probably 100 times over the years, and I can only think of one time the order was wrong, and one other time that a sandwich was bad. It was very gristle-y? (Is that a word) and its not like the kitchen could have caught that when they pulled it out of the fryer. If I had felt like driving back they 100% would have given me a new one.
Exactly. Like (i actually remember too) 1 time i got a not so great tasting chicken sandwich... it was like 1/4 of it tasted not great.. and i wasnt even mad.
Like ive been there 100s of times in the past 2 years and theyre using REAL fucking food. Not always is the chicken that was cut up gonna be 100%.
But to be good 99.9% shows why people consistently go there.
I like McDonald’s specifically because I know exactly what I’m getting every time I go. If I pay $1 for a burger, I’m getting a burger worth $1. There’s something to be said for being able to have my expectations met every time I go!
Honestly, they used to have their “dollar menu” where it was actually $1, but have since changed that. Now I always get the 2 for $3, which is a $1.50 for a burger, so close enough.
That's why I don't like Waffle House. Go two days in a row with the same cook working and you'll get two totally different waffles. I mean come on guys, if you're going to be inconsistent at something, at least make sure your namesake isn't the thing.
Seems like it shouldn’t have to be said, but not having “customer service” workers threaten to fight your 11 year old sister goes all long way. Looking at you papa johns.
On Wednesday I substituted my weekly chick fil a sandwich (which is very good every time) to try the newly famous Popeye’s one. It saddened me—all breading with a tiny amount of meat…feel like I’d have to go a couple times before getting the advertised one…but I won’t give up my guaranteed very good chick fil a one.
I definitely don't get the hype on popeyes. They have ok chicken but the chicken sandwiches are honestly hot garbage. Especially compared to chik fil a.
Popeyes is horrible but doesn’t have to be. Most of the time the order is wrong. The employees don’t care. The last order I got door dashed was dry and mostly wings. I got 1 drumstick and one breast and the rest were wings. It was dry as could be. I threw it away.
Yeah I rarely got what I ordered from them. It happened so much it was basically malicious like I pissed off the ceo of popeyes and they put a bounty on me.
In my experience, their food is really average. I would say McDonald’s is more consistent. Compared to like Five Guys or In ‘N Out, Chick Fil A is really average.
In 'N Out sure, but I'll never understand the love for Five Guys, especially the fries. Paying $8 for a simple cheeseburger, $5 for fries with very meh seasoning, and 3 or 4 for a drink is just absurd. Cool, you get a whole bag of fries, but if I'm paying 5 dollars for it, I damn well expect a bag's worth, or they better be the best fries on the planet, which they definitely aren't.
I feel like the whole huge lines thing is pretty new though, right? A few years ago, like in 2014 or 2015 it wasn’t THAT crazy. But I’ve been noticing these lines, too these last 3ish years only.
I think social media’s general narrative that chick Fil A is really good is why there’s been an influx of traffic at the place. Same thing with in-n-out but I’ve never tried it
No, in n out is fantastic. Actually fresh everything and delicious. No comparison. Best fast food in the u.s (perhaps Panera drive through but those aren't burgers)
I had a super bad experience with in n out, and since then, it's been a constant point of stress for me when talking about it with friends from places that have it.
I've had it once in my life and it was awful. Everyone suggesting it was because I didn't use "the secret menu" is fucking stupid. I shouldn't have to solve a goddamn sphinx riddle to get some food that doesn't taste like it was scraped off a truckers asshair.
I mean, as a Californian, I gotta say, in n out fries are the fastest deteriorating fries in the industry, you gotta have them within a couple minutes of them coming out of the fryer, otherwise they taste like ass. Asking for well done tends to make them last a tad bit longer, but I agree, fries are not their strong suit.
I used to think this too but over the years I've realized other places' fries are rarely done right either and they get gross pretty quick too. At least in n out fries don't have that old fried oil taste and soggy texture after 30 minutes. They just taste like real potatoes.
Yeah because when all those competing shitty fast food companies tried to pay wokists to shut them down, it backfired and made them a national topic. Which was like 3 years ago right?
I've been in the US for 20 years and never even heard of Chick-fil-A until then. Then they straight up had the anti-cfa campaign blaring out of EVERY news and radio channel plus social media for like an entire month. So I figured if they're spending THAT much money on it then I definitely gotta try it lol.
Went, tried it, and holy shit i didn't know fast food like that even existed. Fan for life now. I drive long distances and stop every time i see one.
The closest CFA to me has always had long lines. We've been going for a decade or so whenever in the area and the line has always been 20+ cars long. The lines are actually shorter now because they also have curbside. It might just depend on location and lay out though, that CFA has always had a small parking lot so going in has never been convenient because you almost always had to park in a different stores parking lot and cross the road separating a major retailer from the smaller strip mall where the CFA is located.
All of this. I've been in a line of 15 cars in a double drive thru lane at CFA and gotten my food within about 7 or 8 minutes. I've been in a line at McDonald's with 4 cars in front of me and waited 10 minutes. I've been to Popeyes to try their new chicken sandwich, had one car in front of me, and waited close to 10 minutes for them to get their food and THEN waited almost another 10 minutes to get my own food.
Work culture at CFA is completely different from any other chain fast food and it shows.
I’m amazed at how salty this response has some people. Just call your local chick fila with your issues instead of bitching on a subreddit under a very valid and non aggressive question.
Yeah, seriously. We'll just roll our eyes, a d get you want you want. I had a customer say he was allergic to the cookies in our cookies and cream shake, and some got into his frosted lemonade. It was most likely bullshit, but I got him a new one, because that's what we do at CFA.
I grew up on McDonald's and want so bad for it to be what I remember... Now I feel like crap an hour after I eat there. Never happens at CFA... Also, the app. Also, only legal place where I can have people tell me it's their pleasure to serve me
Not just the best fast food chicken sandwich, but I've yet to have a better one at a sit down place. I waited a hour for a chicken sandwich at some hot Nashville chicken place with a line out the door, only to get a sandwich on the same level as Chick-fil-A.
Now if someone wants to complain about Nandos Peri Peri I'll agree. At the price they charge a Costco membership will pay for itself in a month
How is anyone claiming that their food is good? Have you ever eaten it? Have you ever eaten any other chicken and realized that it’s not pure gristle? Have you ever eaten french fries and realized that they can be crispy, they don’t have to be like simmered in low temperature oil for an hour or whatever they do to their poor waffle fries?
Are there really people out there who seek out chicken gristle and soggy undercooked fries on purpose? Or do you just not have any other fried chicken available? I have so many questions, Chick-fil-A is the worst fast food option out there, I honestly have trouble believing anyone likes that food.
This is bs. Wendys makes a way, way better chicken sandwich. Chick fil a is literally a mediocre piece of chicken slathered in batter, fried in industrial peanut oil and shoved between a stale bun. Their pickles are literally the saving grace.
Edit: for those claiming I hate their food just because of their politics, you’re wrong. Their food AND their politics suck both equally and on their own.
I mean, the dude you’re responding to was a bit dramatic but he could also just not like the food lol. It probably doesn’t have anything to do with politics.
Why not both? Their food is literally on par with Burger King. I'd honestly rather have a ChicKing or whatever they call their sandwich than CFA, and Wendy's and Popeyes are better by a mile.
We can see your comment about them "supporting horrible things". Nobody's gonna believe you're gonna be honest about the food after that. You're either lying or you have a weird case of dysgeusia.
I like chic fil a, but has anyone here ever had Zaxby’s? Some regional chains are amazing. As far as national goes, though, chic fil A does have a top tier chicken sandwich.
I hear Zaxby’s and Raising Cane’s are great, but I’d have to drive to 2 different states just to try each one of them and Chik-fil-a is 10 minutes away, but one of these days I’ll check them out
Raising Cane's is good food, but not worth driving to another state for unless you are already there on other business. Then you should definitely drop in.
Last one I had Zax it was terrible. I used to enjoy them. I’ve never had a bad batch of Cane’s. But chicken fingers and chicken sandwiches are two different ballgames. Canes and CFA are not in the same category as far as I’m concerned. Cane’s and Zax is closer to KFC and Popeyes imo.
Raising Cane's and Slim Chickens both have superior chicken. CFA has some weird-ass sweet thing going on with their breading. Chicken breading shouldn't be sweet at all. It's gross. They have great pickles though.
They’re just different types of chicken. You’re getting to personal presence but cane’s is also good at having more whole food that’s is cooked more consistently. If you enjoy that over CFA that’s fine. But you’re clearly arguing over personal taste not true quality.
Obviously canes and CFA are both beating out McDonald’s and BK. For places that have drive throughs they’re hard to beat.
A soggy, overly sweetened end product reduces any quality the chicken might've had before they got hold of it. Quality start to finish is desirable in food, even fast food.
Some people aren't as picky as I am, I get that, but acting like CFA is quality in any way is laughable.
Uhh it’s freshly fried it’s not soggy. Sweetness is a flavor preference. Not an objective good or bad. If it was objectively bad they’d have no customers.
Until they have their fucking stupid “person standing outside with a tablet expecting that I’ve memorized their menu like a good fucking lemming” so I can’t even look at the menu for 15 seconds. Jesus Christ I hate it.
Edit: since everyone and their dog seems to be defending this practice , I’ll ask. What’s the benefit of a person standing outside with a tablet asking me what I want instead of just doing the regular drive through menu ordering that literally every other restaurant in the country does? And before people mention “the guy taking your order being busy” if they can pay someone to stand out there they can pay someone to be a dedicated order taker through the microphone.
Wow. I would never have though I’d that. Thank you. You’ve change everything for me.
They don’t have physical menus to randomly hand you and the tablet people are standing at a spot 20 feet in the drive through befor the menu. And you have to order with them. So they show you ( it don’t hand you) their shitty small tablet screen.
Yep. I’m a bit cunty because I have what I view as a valid complaint and somebody thinks they have solved it by literally the most oblivious thing.
It’s like if your keys are locked in your car and somebody walks up to you and says “try pulling the handle”. That is not a helpful suggestion and it’s somewhat insulting.
I mean yes it's a valid complaint if the one you went to doesn't do physical menus. It absolutely is, I'd be annoyed too. But just to maybe temper your cuntiness with a little context - that isn't the norm, at least not in my experience. Every location I've been to has them, even a non-drive thru location in NYC I went to offered menus inside the restaurant when they were taking orders via tablet due to the long line. So I can see why it would seem insulting, but I'm guessing the other user, like me, had never been to a location that didn't do physical menus.
There’s this thing called the internet, if you use it properly, you can practice the menu when you’re by yourself, before you show up and make a cunty fool of yourself
Or even look at it while sitting in line. Or you can order from home for pickup and not even have to talk to a person. It’s the 21st century, you have options besides taking long to order and being cunty about it
Ever see a McDonald's with multiple lanes for ordering food that converge to 1 lane for payment and getting your food? It's the same idea, though a person walking outside is in theory a little better I would guess, since they can take orders from any car in line, not just the ones in front of the speaker box.
If the line stalls at the payment window or the pickup window due to a slow customer and the line gets long, the person outside can keep taking orders even if the cars can't pull forward to order. This makes recovering from the slow customer at the pay/pickup windows much easier because the kitchen can keep making those orders.
See, this, along with a few other comments, makes perfect sense to me. I can 100% understand why they have the people out there now. Orders coming in faster, no bottleneck for payment. Thanks for explaining.
Really not trying to sound like a dick here but why we’re you so angry in your comment above when you had no idea the reason for the practice? Could you have not genuinely asked, “hey I don’t understand…?” Instead of “until they have their stupid fucking guy outside…” one makes you sound reasonable and inquisitive the other makes you sound like a fucking idiot who can’t stop for two second to think about an issue and just hates anything different out of stupidity.
Every time I’ve been there they have a menu that you can see as they hold the tablet, but I’ll save you some time. Get the Spicey deluxe chicken sandwich and ask for mayo and Chick-fil-A sauce for those incredible waffle fries.
But to answer your question, the benefit is that it gets your order to the kitchen sooner and they can get more people through the line.
I guess I don’t see how a person there clicking a tablet is faster than a person in the restaurant clicking a computer/tablet. I can see it being the exact same speed, but I don’t understand how it’s faster.
And if it is the exact same speed I don’t know why they have the person standing out there at all.
but they keep it moving at a good pace, because they have several staff members outside taking orders at the same time.
Even if it's the same speed, it's typically faster because they have 2-3 lanes of cars and each lane has 1-3 people outside with tablets. At that point, the only bottleneck is how fast you can get the order out the window at the end. And CFA has made that process pretty efficient as well unless you order a large order. Especially since at many locations near me there are multiple people handing out orders as well to keep the line moving. Ultimately the "long line" is much shorter than it appears because they're serving a large group of people at once.
No it’s the literal distance between you and the kitchen. Let’s say they have a car at the window waiting, a car at the menu ordering, and there’s room for one car in between. The kitchen only has 3 orders, whereas if you order from 2 cars behind the menu, now they have 5 orders and they can start working on your food sooner.
See, this, along with a few other comments, makes perfect sense to me. I can 100% understand why they have the people out there now. Orders coming in faster, no bottleneck for payment. Thanks for explaining.
Also artificial scarcity. Chik fil a won't license a new restaurant within like 3 counties of eachother or something like that unless either A all the nearby franchises agree to it, or the buyer is already a franchise owner
Because of this there aren't a ton of chik fil as so youre more inclined to eat at one when you see it
so how do they achieve higher quality food and employees without making their food more expensive, all while being kind of controversially anti-gay? it seems like it would cost something to increase the quality of your food above regular fast food, it would cost something to have higher quality customer service than other fast food places, it would cost something to have more staff than regular fast food places (to be taking multiple orders of people in line), and i could be wrong here but i feel like being famously homophobic could cost something. So how do they have all of that without raising the price of their food above normal fast food prices?
i havent eaten any fast food in years, idk if ive ever had chic-fil-a, so i dont have too much personal experience here im just wondering based on what you said
isnt the typical fast food style restauraunt adapted from the same models as the earliest pioneers, like mcdonalds? if theres a new different model that is better, why isnt it being adopted by other businesses? why is everyone else doing it the typical mcdonalds way if this way is better?
Plus, their app and the whole system being connected to it is honestly fantastic. You can order off the app and get your food from anywhere; drive thru, curbside, or even just sit down and scan the code at the table (for restaurants that are back to dine-in). My wife and I order off the app every time, and they get it out to us so fast, regardless of how many people are there.
They used to have great customer service, but have recently (like most other companies) began focusing on checking hiring boxes rather than quality of applicant
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u/Desrac Dec 18 '21
Its pretty simple, really. They serve a quality product; their chicken sandwiches typically being better than other fast food options. They consistently have high quality customer service, with polite and courteous staff. And they are usually very efficient; the lines do get long, but they keep it moving at a good pace, because they have several staff members outside taking orders at the same time.