What is it with the long lines at Chik-fil-A?

[Anonymous]

They are like this everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've always seen long lines at drive through and thought this must be some special kind of fast food since they are always crowded. We went in today to finally check it out and it was crowded inside as well. The kids meal with the tiny 5 nuggets and waffle fries and a drink was a joke for $6. The burger (burger for $6 or meal with waffle fries and drink for $10) was nothing to rave home about either. Even my kids said the $11 burger meal at Red Robin is better. The saving grace was the milk shake.

Why the long lines then?

There are no burgers at Chik-fil-A. Just chicken.

Sorry, I'm an immigrant and consider everything that is stuffed between buns as a burger. (think veggie burger, chicken burger). I guess their chicken sandwich then. It was not nice at all, so what gives with the lines?

The long lines are the result of lots of people wanting to eat there. Obviously these people have a different opinion than you. Really not that hard to understand.

But different opinions aren't allowed anymore? If you don't believe what I believe we just label them with bad people names right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've always seen long lines at drive through and thought this must be some special kind of fast food since they are always crowded. We went in today to finally check it out and it was crowded inside as well. The kids meal with the tiny 5 nuggets and waffle fries and a drink was a joke for $6. The burger (burger for $6 or meal with waffle fries and drink for $10) was nothing to rave home about either. Even my kids said the $11 burger meal at Red Robin is better. The saving grace was the milk shake.

Why the long lines then?

There are no burgers at Chik-fil-A. Just chicken.

Sorry, I'm an immigrant and consider everything that is stuffed between buns as a burger. (think veggie burger, chicken burger). I guess their chicken sandwich then. It was not nice at all, so what gives with the lines?

You ate it, but you’re still not sure if it was chicken? You’re either a troll or you have no taste buds, which may explain why you didn’t like the food.

I meant you can call it chicken sandwich then. Lost in translation.

It's OK, OP. I am not an immigrant but I also think of any meat between buns as a burger. haha I would think of it as a "chicken burger." I also think of (and sometimes refer to before stopping to correct myself) any soft drink as a "coke" rather than distinguishing between different types of soft drinks.

Thank you for saying this. In my head anything between buns is a burger. Even when I order from Red Robin, their gourmet burgers have the substitute options for chicken and I called them a chicken burger. Until the previous posters educated me, I did't realize burgers are only meat. Am not a troll

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The question is why they are so slow, even if you order online. It makes no sense.

I don’t find them particularly slow, but I do find they get the order correct, whereas at the other fast food places nearby it’s hit or miss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are not slow. I don't know which one you have been too, but I always get my food within 10 minutes, if not sooner. The food is well worth a longer wait!

OP seems to have found the only slow CFA in America. They should be reported to headquarters. The one near me is almost frighteningly efficient, especially the drive through line. The line is long, but almost never stops moving. In fact, the joke around here was that the government should have hired CFA to run the Covid vaccination system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are not slow. I don't know which one you have been too, but I always get my food within 10 minutes, if not sooner. The food is well worth a longer wait!

OP seems to have found the only slow CFA in America. They should be reported to headquarters. The one near me is almost frighteningly efficient, especially the drive through line. The line is long, but almost never stops moving. In fact, the joke around here was that the government should have hired CFA to run the Covid vaccination system.

I hadn't heard that but it is true. They sometimes have our food delivered to us just as we're sitting down at the table when eating inside, hot and fresh. That doesn't happen anywhere else.

[Anonymous]

If you go eat $11 meals at Red Robin, you are tipping 8-10$ for a family of four.

[Anonymous]

I love that I can stroll in at 1025....order lunch food...and it is ready by 1030.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question is why they are so slow, even if you order online. It makes no sense.

I don’t find them particularly slow, but I do find they get the order correct, whereas at the other fast food places nearby it’s hit or miss.

We get it for the kids and it is very slow. Order online and there’s still a long wait, but yes, the order is right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question is why they are so slow, even if you order online. It makes no sense.

I don’t find them particularly slow, but I do find they get the order correct, whereas at the other fast food places nearby it’s hit or miss.

Agree. Love them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People like
a) it's clean
b) the employees tend to be really, overly polite and helpful
c) they often have a play place for the kids
d) they have halfway decent food for a fast food restaurant. I'm a vegetarian now but I used to eat there sometimes and thought their chicken was better than other fast food chains. And all the fast food chains are kind of expensive now.

The Burger King near this Chik-fil-A location is also clean. So is the Mcdonalds down the road which is also more spacious and not standing room when crowded.
Agreed with the employees - Very kind and polite
There was a play space but it was locked. Burger King also has a play space
Food was meh. KIds said they liked the Mcdonalds nuggets better. 20 pieces there for $6 there vs 5 tiny ones here with not so nice waffle fries and a drink for same price.

It sounds like price is your main concern — then by all means buy McDonald’s. As for your kids, children tend to like what they’re used to. However, I can’t imagine anyone thinking McDonald’s nuggets are better quality than Chik Fil A. There’s a reason they’re cheap. You may want to compare a list of ingredients for both — McDonald’s is full of water, “food starch,” “autolyzed yeast extract,” and preservatives like TBHQ, while the CFA nuggets are basically chicken and flour.

Price and quality - We order a lot from Red Robin and their chicken sandwich and fries which cost just about the same are better than Chik-Fil-A. Whiskey River BBQ there is really good. I ordered the chicken sandwich and nuggets meals for kids and a chicken sandwich meal for myself. All three of us loved their milkshakes but the main food not so much. But different strokes for different folks. As for the nuggets, maybe we are all used to the Mcdonalds like you said.

[Anonymous]

the food quality is much higher than most fast-food. Fries cut fresh daily on site. Chicken cut, breaded, & cooked daily on site. Lettuce and most toppings cut in store. It is not cooked from frozen. Seasonal milkshakes have fresh fruit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've always seen long lines at drive through and thought this must be some special kind of fast food since they are always crowded. We went in today to finally check it out and it was crowded inside as well. The kids meal with the tiny 5 nuggets and waffle fries and a drink was a joke for $6. The burger (burger for $6 or meal with waffle fries and drink for $10) was nothing to rave home about either. Even my kids said the $11 burger meal at Red Robin is better. The saving grace was the milk shake.

Why the long lines then?

There are no burgers at Chik-fil-A. Just chicken.

Sorry, I'm an immigrant and consider everything that is stuffed between buns as a burger. (think veggie burger, chicken burger). I guess their chicken sandwich then. It was not nice at all, so what gives with the lines?

The long lines are the result of lots of people wanting to eat there. Obviously these people have a different opinion than you. Really not that hard to understand.

But different opinions aren't allowed anymore? If you don't believe what I believe we just label them with bad people names right?

What are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People like
a) it's clean
b) the employees tend to be really, overly polite and helpful
c) they often have a play place for the kids
d) they have halfway decent food for a fast food restaurant. I'm a vegetarian now but I used to eat there sometimes and thought their chicken was better than other fast food chains. And all the fast food chains are kind of expensive now.

The Burger King near this Chik-fil-A location is also clean. So is the Mcdonalds down the road which is also more spacious and not standing room when crowded.
Agreed with the employees - Very kind and polite
There was a play space but it was locked. Burger King also has a play space
Food was meh. KIds said they liked the Mcdonalds nuggets better. 20 pieces there for $6 there vs 5 tiny ones here with not so nice waffle fries and a drink for same price.

It sounds like price is your main concern — then by all means buy McDonald’s. As for your kids, children tend to like what they’re used to. However, I can’t imagine anyone thinking McDonald’s nuggets are better quality than Chik Fil A. There’s a reason they’re cheap. You may want to compare a list of ingredients for both — McDonald’s is full of water, “food starch,” “autolyzed yeast extract,” and preservatives like TBHQ, while the CFA nuggets are basically chicken and flour.

Price and quality - We order a lot from Red Robin and their chicken sandwich and fries which cost just about the same are better than Chik-Fil-A. Whiskey River BBQ there is really good. I ordered the chicken sandwich and nuggets meals for kids and a chicken sandwich meal for myself. All three of us loved their milkshakes but the main food not so much. But different strokes for different folks. As for the nuggets, maybe we are all used to the Mcdonalds like you said.

But Red Robin and probably the Whiskey River BBQ place are not fast-food places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are not slow. I don't know which one you have been too, but I always get my food within 10 minutes, if not sooner. The food is well worth a longer wait!

OP seems to have found the only slow CFA in America. They should be reported to headquarters. The one near me is almost frighteningly efficient, especially the drive through line. The line is long, but almost never stops moving. In fact, the joke around here was that the government should have hired CFA to run the Covid vaccination system.

This is OP. That was another poster not me. I didn't say they were slow, just baffled at the long lines when I felt their food (other than milkshakes) was mediocre for the price. But based on the replies, it looks like this chain has a fan following, so good for them.