Eat Mor Chikin
December 7, 2009 9 Comments
Last week, I had the opportunity to go down South (driving with family members from NJ to South Carolina) for a couple days, for my son David’s graduation from Marine boot camp.
Having spent 7 years of my life in the great state of Tennessee, I got used to Southern cooking, and fried chicken chains like Popeye’s, Bojangles, and others. I also got used to friendly Southern service, which seems to be sadly lacking here in the colder climes of the Northeast.
Also missing from much of the Northeast is Chick-Fil-A, a chain I admire for multiple reasons, including their brilliant marketing (Eat Mor Chickin), their moral/ethical business stance, and their really good food. So I made sure, on this trip, that we went a bit out of our way to grab lunch at a Chick-Fil-A.
That’s where something happened that I don’t recall ever experiencing at a fast-food chain before.
Of course, the lady behind the counter was warm, chatty, and helpful – quite refreshing in and of itself. But there were 6 of us, and the order was pretty involved. As the food came out in multiple trays, this lady actually offered to come out from behind the counter and carry one of the trays to our table. Then, later, she came over to verify that everything was OK, and then later came back to get drink refills for us! And to just chat.
Now, we were there a bit off-hour, so the place wasn’t packed, but still – personable, voluntary table service at a fast-food restaurant? What a concept!
Bravo, Chick-Fil-A. Now, will you PLEASE open a bunch of outlets in New Jersey? Because I want to Eat Mor Chickin.
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Food court, Paramus Park Mall, Route 17 north, Paramus.
(But yeah, that’s as close as you can get up here.)
That ain’t close enough, my friend! I want Boonton – or Parsippany – or Denville – or next door!
Shall I deliver one of their lemon pies next time I pick one up? (The Missus likes it.)
In the meantime you can find a pretty credible fast-food chicken sandwich at … um … er … yeah, never mind.
Steve, I feel absolutely terrible that you don’t have Chick Fil A’s up north!! That is awful!
The customer service that you experienced is how it always is at most Chick Fil A’s. My husband and I were actually discussing this over the weekend! I ate at the Chick Fil A in the Lenox Mall foodcourt, and my table was not even close to the restaurant and an employee came all the way over to my table to offer to refill the drink.
I notice they have stepped it up a notch since the economy tanked, and its something that all companies should be doing! Its an inexpensive/free way to improve the customer experience—and clearly we are noticing it. Way to go, Chick Fil A!
Christina, I’m really bummed that they have only about 3 stores in all of NJ – none nearby. And I will confess to having tried the holiday peppermint shake – oh man. Way too good!
Yep. CF usually has remarkable customer service. And the coolest billboards.
Steve, I am a huge fan of Chick-fil-A. Not only is it the ONLY fast food restaurant that meets our diverse family tastes but after my husband won a year’s worth of free meals (during a Phillies game a few years ago), we got to put them to the test and they passed with flying colors for an entire year. In addition, despite how frustrating it was to become accustomed to the fact that they are always closed on Sundays, I respect whole-heartedly the will to stay true to one’s values even at the expense of the almighty dollar…because it’s a frustrating maxim that I follow and sometimes question. Oh, yeah…and then there’s the subliminal messaging courtesy of the stuffed cow (that came with the “prize”) sitting on our kitchen secretary that displays the “eat mor chickin” slogan. Will it help “team W” to consider moving to southern NJ to know that a second Chick-fil-A has just opened near our home? C’mon down…would love to have ya’ll for neighbors!
I’m late to the game here (wa-ay behind on my RSS), but I couldn’t pass up the chance to say “Hope to heck you had the Chick-fil-A sweet tea!”
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