“Oh… you work at Chick-fil-A? I don’t eat there”

I took my son over to the local mall tonight to give my wife some peace and quiet time with our 3 week old daughter. Since I knew fellow Chick-fil-A team members were there Christmas shopping, I sent one of them a text so we could meet up. While waiting, I decided to stop in to my favorite tea place, Teavana, and sample everything in sight. The girl sampling the tea was very outgoing and friendly. I jokingly asked her if the YOUTHBERRY tea would make me younger. She responded with, “It really works! I’m 50 years old”. We laughed, and she admitted she was actually only 18. 

A short while later, my two fellow CFA team members joined us in Teavana. It was their first time there, so they definitely enjoyed sampling everything from Chinese teas, to iced Blueberry Pineapple. The employees there obviously get paid on commission, as the girl demonstrated and suggested gadgets and gizmos ranging from $20 – $200. We thanked her for her kindness and for the time spent with us, but I chuckled as I said, “Sorry… we all work at Chick-fil-A. I can’t afford a $200 tea making machine right now”. And that’s when her demeanor changed:

“Oh… you work at Chick-fil-A? I don’t eat there”

Thinking she may not care for fast food, or perhaps had experienced poor service at some point… I asked her why. She explained that her mom is a lesbian and that they boycott Chick-fil-A, and have boycotted Chick-fil-A since the media broke with the statements by Dan Cathy concerning marriage. 

At this point, I saw that God had orchestrated this meeting… and that this was a tremendous opportunity to make a difference in her life. I explained to her that though Dan Cathy may have a personal standard on marriage, it doesn’t mean he hates the individual that differs from his view. I went on to tell her the story of when I was first being interviewed for a job at CFA almost a year ago. My operator, Dean Sandbo, met with me at a local diner and we talked for almost 2 hours. At the end of the night, Dean told me to wait a second, and disappeared around the corner. Later, he told me that he had seen a homosexual couple that used to eat at our CFA quite frequently, but had not been back to the store since the boycott. Dean paid for their meal that night to bless them and to show them that we genuinely love them and still care about them.

She was blown away. She said that because of me (it really wasn’t me… I was just the representation of CFA at the moment) she is going to come back to CFA. I wrote down our store’s address and told her to bring her mom to the Chick-fil-A of Wesley Chapel and lunch will be on us! What a joy to share the heart of Chick-fil-A…. and ultimately the heart of Jesus Christ. 

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I’m no GQ model….

…. but she thinks I am. Meet Lydia. She is one of our faithful guests at the Chick-fil-A of Wesley Chapel. Her friend, Brenda, brings her to eat lunch, talk, and work on jigsaw puzzles. The first time I met Lydia, she referred to me as “Mr. GQ”. I couldn’t help but laugh. I was tired, and dressed head to toe in Oobe work apparel. Dashing? Not in the least. But we had a blast that day. I’ve gotten to know her over the past few months… and always try to stop by her table to say hello. Her puzzle of choice today? Dora the Explorer. So as I sat for a few moments helping her with the puzzle, I couldn’t help but smile. You see… Lydia has Alzheimer’s… and it’s pretty advanced. She’s a special lady, and I’m so thankful God has given us the opportunity to be a bright spot in her day. As for “Mr. GQ”… I’ll own it for you, Ms. Lydia!

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Tweak it, baby!

I just returned from Recurring Operator Training at the Chick-fil-A Home Office in Atlanta, GA. Incredible time! My operator, Dean Sandbo, graciously allowed for myself and fellow leader, Kyle, to accompany him as we will both be taking training director roles in the near future.

Boy did we cover a lot! The corporate trainers are top-notch. From the recipe for biscuits, to the recipe for service… it was clear that we ALWAYS have room for improvement.

So coming back to the local store, we have a vision to share… or maybe, rather, to refresh. We also have plans and procedures to help us strive daily for flawless execution. But why? For what purpose? A better quality food? Sure. A remarkable experience in the restaurant? Yep. But I go back to the fundamentals in terms of motive. And for me, that is a genuine LOVE for my guests… as well as for my fellow team members. Because when you love…. you care. Truly. And it takes you from a “punch in and out” routine and mindset, to an incredible culture for your team and for anyone who visits the restaurant.

I leave you with these thoughts:

[1 Corinthians 13 – CFA Version]
If I bake my biscuits correctly, If I refresh every beverage, If I bread the chicken to perfection, If I clear every tray, If I put the right amount of sugar in the tea, If I clean every window, If I am accurate with every order, If I make my Chick-fil-A profitable…. yet I don’t have a genuine LOVE for my guests and felIow team members… I. AM. NOTHING.

Is loving someone… genuinely… difficult at times? Yes! Of course. But we all must remember that “Every Life Has A Story”… we just have to take the time to read it. If that doesn’t affect you… if that doesn’t cause you to have compassion and motivate you to make a difference, check the temperature of your heart.

Making money is great, but a genuine care and compassion for people is not only the core of Chick-fil-A, but it was the passion of Jesus Christ. He ALWAYS had time for the individual.

Go love on some people today!

(Brian Hogan – Corporate Trainer, Art Terkeurst – Operator, Dean Sandbo – Operator, Kyle Snipes – Team Leader)

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Say Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!

Just completed a 15 hour day at Chick-fil-A. That rhymed… ok, moooooving along. I won’t even tell you about the guy that rode through drive-thru on a horse, or how incredible the second night of orientation went with the new hires. Instead, I want to share about meeting a couple gentlemen today, probably in their 60s. The one was clad in a Hawaiian shirt and Desert Storm U.S. Coast Guard hat. It was his first time at CFA. Found out he was visiting from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Cool! My wife is from that area. We clicked right away. Later, I visited the two guys at their table and sat down with them. They asked me how long I had worked at CFA. I told them my story, and how I would love to operate my own store someday. The friend of the man from Milwaukee then says, “If Chick-fil-A decides to give you a store someday, I will pay the $5,000. And if you need more, I will help you”. WHOA!! How awesome is that for a confidence boost?! He was absolutely serious. Our guests are truly amazing.

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New Kids on the Clock!

Spending my evening with a class of new hires has to be one of my favorite things… it’s definitely more of a revival service than an orientation class! I wish each one of you had the opportunity to listen to my operator, Dean Sandbo (pictured below), share his heart. His passion and drive are incredible. I can promise you this: It all boils down to people. So blessed to be a part of it!

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A Blast Beyond the Clock

I think it’s an understatement to say that we absolutely LOVE our team members at Chick-fil-A. And that love is not confined to the time clock. We don’t simply care about them and how they are doing while clocked in, but we desire to invest in them and their interests far beyond the clock. Tonight was Senior Night for one of our team members, Hannah Hastings… so a few of us drove over to the local high school and had a blast cheering on her and her fellow teammates. It had been YEARS since I had last attended a volleyball match. Hannah did amazingly well… and it was fun to spend time together as a CFA family. After the games, my wife and I were talking about how awesome it would be to have a store someday, and continue to invest in the lives of others. People are definitely our Passion!

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Where there is no vision….

I’m a HUGE proponent of “enjoy the moment” and don’t get too focused on the future. However, if there are no plans, no goals, no VISION… you will fail. Period. Now that I have almost nine months of experience at my local CFA store, it is definitely time to begin planning ahead. 

For those of you not familiar with Chick-fil-A, there are a few “paths” to take in the journey to hopefully becoming an Operator one day. You can apply to become a Corporate Trainer, a Grand Opening Supervisor, or an Interim Manager (IM)…. to name a few of the more standard routes. Andre Kennebrew (CFA Corporate Talent Scout) recently visited the Charlotte market to explain these paths, and how extremely competitive it has become. Basically, there is so much interest out there, that they can afford to take only the “cream of the crop”. WOW! Honestly, I wanted to walk away from that meeting discouraged… thinking that there is no way that I can make it with only nine months experience up to this point. 

Thankfully, my Operator, Dean Sandbo, encouraged me when he mentioned that he could see me in the IM program. This was the path that my wife and I have been desiring since day #1. Andre had mentioned two things that stood out to me in the meeting in regard to the IM program. 1) They were seeing more and more 30-ish year-olds from other backgrounds than CFA enter the program. 2) They are OK with families with children. I thought to myself, “This is the time… if I am ever going to take it. My kids will be under school age… and we are not tied down to Charlotte at all”. 

Some of you are wondering what the IM position entails…. I will sum it up for you! Think of an interim pastor filling in at a church. It’s basically the same principle. For “up to” 2 years, my family would potentially bounce around the USA while I stood in as an interim operator until corporate found a permanent operator for that specific location. I could be in Texas for a 3 months… then moved to Chicago for 6 months… then New Jersey for a month. You just never know. It all depends on the need. At any point during those 2 years, they could pull me out to inform me that I am ready for my own store…. or, I could spend two years traveling around the country, and at the end…. discover that I don’t have what it takes to be an Operator. Again, nothing is guaranteed. It’s a Christian-based organization, and there is definitely a lot of FAITH involved!! But I know this is where God wants us…. and I am going to do my ultimate best to pursue the IM program. It’s really, really tough to get in… but with God, all things are possible. 

To wrap this post up, my plans are to remain in my local CFA for another year (ish)…. and then hopefully hit the road, or go another route. I would definitely appreciate your prayers on our behalf. Even though I often feel SO incredibly inadequate, my love for the CFA brand, my guests, and my team members is out of this world! 

 

Below: Andre Kennebrew (center) talks with team members interested in a long-term career with Chick-fil-A

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