For the past three and a half years, I have been blessed to work at one of the world's best companies. Chick-Fil-A has provided me with opportunities around opportunities, and I am forever grateful. If you were curious what is Chick-Fil-A beyond the awesome attitudes of the employees, let me let you in on a secret.
1. The operators.
Each store is run by an all around amazing person, meaning that the General Manager, supervisors, team leaders and team members get to work under a gracious and loving boss. My operator, Brad, is one of the most Godly men I know, and never seizes to amaze me in how much he loves this company, his CFA family and the Lord. With each meeting we have and every behind the counter chat, I am always rejuvenated after talking to Brad, and I hope that I can have that impact on people one day.
2. The food.
I have probably eaten everything on the menu at least 20 times, but I still would choose Chick-Fil-A three times a day if I had the budget. It is one of the only “fast-food” places that I don’t feel nasty after eating, and I am always so content with anything on the menu. Along with that, there is an ongoing list of secret menu items that employees know how to make, so I always get to spice it up. Bottom line: Chick-Fil-A never gets old.
3. The uniforms.
I know this seems silly, but the new uniforms are honestly one of the reasons I love work. The pants are just as comfy as yoga pants, and the shirts make me look super good (and like I haven’t eaten one million chicken biscuits).
4. The Chick-Fil-A family.
I met one of my best friends at Chick-Fil-A, and was able to grow my relationships with my other close friends because we would be at the store until 5am or 6am until 3pm or 4pm and learned how to handle dozens of situations with each other. Not only that, but I now go to school with a handful of people I worked with, which was awesome because I was able to come to school with a group of friends I could always hang out with.
5. Flexibility.
My general manager is always so flexible when I have to go back to school, have orientation to work or have vacations during the summer. They never make me feel like an inconvenience and always welcome me with loving arms when I come home to the family. Being able to know that my job is still at home when I am on a break is a huge relief because not only will I have a paycheck, but I get to go back and relive the routine I spent my high school living (which is a nice throwback).
6. The “backstage” environment.
The people working “backstage” are probably the main reason I am itching to get back into the store during my breaks. The reason our food comes out so hot, fresh, delicious and quick is because of our kitchen staff. When I walk through the door and yell that I’m back, I always see their heads turn at my voice and huge smiles appear because they know how happy I am to see them. I always know that If I lead a rough shift or if I've had a bad day, they will always tell me how awesome I am and how happy they are to have me back, which is always a good thing to hear.
Yes, working at Chick-Fil-A can be tough, but for the same reason that any job is. You have to go and work and sometimes wake up early or stay up late. My goal in life is to always have a job at Chick-Fil-A (corporate or store level) because the love they have for their employees is enough to keep anyone around. It isn’t a job, it's a family. It’s a family I know I'll have for the rest of my life.
