Business
Business

Chick-fil-A’s early results from NYC: Booming

Jaimie Cranford, right, takes a photograph with Mariah Reives outside the Chick-fil-A store in New York on the store’s opening day. Cranford, originally from South Carolina, and Reives, originally from North Carolina, currently live in New York. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg)

Credit: Tina Fineberg

Credit: Tina Fineberg

Jaimie Cranford, right, takes a photograph with Mariah Reives outside the Chick-fil-A store in New York on the store’s opening day. Cranford, originally from South Carolina, and Reives, originally from North Carolina, currently live in New York. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg)
By Matt Kempner
Oct 15, 2015

Chick-fil-A made its big jump into Manhattan less than two weeks ago and already the company says it has reset a chain-wide record with its first full service restaurant there.

The three-story operation in Manhattan's Garment District easily broke Chick-fil-A records for peak-hour traffic, the company told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lines have often stretched out the restaurant's doors at times since the Oct. 3 opening, which attracted protesters over the CEO's past comments against gay marriage. Still, the company says customer feedback on speed of service have been better than expected.

Chick-fil-A’s pre-launch preparations included tweaking staff training specifically for the Big Apple. My interpretation of it: hospitality on a stopwatch.

ExploreClick here to find out what Chick-fil-A has done differently and how it deals with local expectations about hospitality, in the latest Unofficial Business column on myAJC.com.

About the Author

Matt Kempner is an award-winning journalist who seeks out intriguing twists about people and subjects beyond what the AJC might typically cover. A former columnist and editor, his past assignments have included business investigations, energy, the economy, entrepreneurs, big business, consumer spending, politics, government and the environment.

Follow Matt Kempner on facebookFollow Matt Kempner on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Cabbagetown resident Nadia Giordani rents a tiny home in her backyard. She'll soon open the booking window for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Riley Bunch/AJC)

Credit: Riley Bunch/riley.bunch@ajc.com

Atlanta’s short-term rentals are starting to fill up for the World Cup

Airbnb is predicting about 6,000 guests will stay with Atlanta hosts during the World Cup, representing about 45,000 guest nights.

Paramount makes hostile bid for Warner Bros., including CNN, Turner networks

Days after Netflix announced its plans to acquire the storied Hollywood institution’s studio and streaming businesses, Paramount has launched an all-cash offer.

Medical company announces expansion in Columbus with 480 jobs

A medical logistics company that makes health care kits announced an expansion plan for its Columbus operations, which will add 480 new jobs to the region.

The Latest

A new kind of hybrid, called e-Power, is coming to the U.S. from Nissan. Courtesy of Nissan

Credit: Courtesy of Nissan

OPINION

Nissan’s e-Power: An EV driving experience, fueled by gas

OPINION

December car sales are good but not magic

In the market for a luxury vehicle? You might reconsider Lincoln.

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

When ICE takes breadwinners, it takes a toll on families ... and on the economy

For immigrant families, brushes with ICE can result in financial precarity that could have implications for the broader economy.

‘I’m a bad kid,’ he told himself. How Georgia’s special ed program failed one child.

Parents find that it's easy to get into the GNETS program, but in some districts, difficult to leave.

‘A lot of blame, but not enough action’: Atlanta leaders lack path to fix jail

Stakeholders across Atlanta and Fulton County grapple with a complex web of issues that contribute to overcrowding, crumbling structure.