Chick-fil-A, a chain known for its right-leaning founders, has been in the news recently for a surprising reason. The company fell afoul of its base and faced a right-wing backlash for its decision to hire a Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Any efforts to address DEI issues by pretty much any company has been met with right-wing charges of the company being "woke." That seems like a tough label for Chick-fil-A, whose founders are not shy about their strong Christian religious background.
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The company's owners have actually run afoul of left-wing activists for donations made to groups that have openly acted against LGBTQ+ people. Chick-fil-A also closes all of its stores on Sundays in honor of the traditional day of rest for people who follow various forms of Christianity.
And, to be fair, Chick-fil-A hardly faced a Bud-Light-style backlash over its decision to hire a DEI executive. There was no widespread backlash nor did the company see any significant boycotts. It was basically the target of some negativity on social media as some members of its devoted following questioned why the company would lean into the DEI trend.
Now, Chick-fil-A has done something that's part of a different trend in restaurants, and its fans may also be unhappy with that move.
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Chick-fil-A Follows Starbucks' Lead
Given their very different political leanings, Chick-fil-A and Starbucks (SBUX) -) rarely get talked about together in a positive way. The two companies are actually doing something similar as the chicken chain has followed the coffee chain in opening a very different kind of store.
Starbucks has, in select markets, opened stores that only serve customers via a drive-through window. It also has locations in some bigger cities where it only offers walk-through service.
These locations serve the coffee giant's full menu, but there's no place to sit, so all orders are to-go.
Chick-fil-A has combined those two models in its latest store.
Chick-fil-A Has a New Kind of Store
Chick-fil-A will bring a new type of store to market when it opens its newest location on July 27 in Honolulu. The store will offer drive-through a walk-up service, but it will not have a dining room.
"The restaurant’s custom design will feature Chick-fil-A’s trademark hospitality through a dual-lane drive-thru experience to serve guests from the convenience of their cars," the company shared in a press release. "The restaurant will also feature three walk-up windows for pedestrians, where guests will be greeted face-to-face by a Team Member to place their order for carry-out."
That's a new model for the company which has put a lot of thought into how the new store will work.
"Some Chick-fil-A Makiki Team Members will serve guests at three walk-up windows, while others will welcome customers face-to-face in the drive-thru line to take each guest’s orders on a tablet. As the order-taker walks the line, another restaurant Team Member will come to the customer’s car to take payment, allowing vehicles to move through more quickly than they do at a traditional speaker box drive-thru," the company shared.
The chain's employees will be wearing special uniforms designed for Hawaii's hot weather. They will include "cooling vests and moisture-wicking uniforms," to fight the heat and keep workers as comfortable as possible.
