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

Among the many companies that could be affected by passage of the Trump bill is Qcells, the Korean-owned solar giant with a massive manufacturing presence in Georgia and just over 4,000 employees. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

‘Big, beautiful bill’ passage dims outlook for Georgia’s clean energy sectors

Georgia has been one of the top states for solar and electric vehicle manufacturing investment. Some warn that's at risk after passage of the "one big, beautiful bill."

2h ago

Amid UPS struggles, shipper makes first-ever plans to offer buyouts to drivers

UPS said in a written statement it is navigating “an unprecedented business landscape.”

Firework shows: Inside the hours of work that go into your ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’

What goes into the fireworks displays you'll enjoy around metro Atlanta this weekend? A ton of work, according to pyrotechnic pros who design and execute shows in Georgia.

The Latest

Home Depot plans to buy all GMS shares through a cash tender offer. (Wilfredo Lee/AP 2021)

Credit: AP

Home Depot makes $5.5B acquisition to increase business with pro contractors

Atlanta’s TNT Sports will no longer produce NBA TV programming

New site being studied for restaurants next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Featured

UPS driver Dan Partyka delivers an overnight package. As more people buy more goods online, the rapid and unrelenting expansion of e-commerce is causing real challenges for the Sandy-Springs based company. (Bob Andres/AJC 2022)

Credit: TNS

Amid UPS struggles, shipper makes first-ever plans to offer buyouts to drivers

UPS said in a written statement it is navigating “an unprecedented business landscape.”

Kneeling man impaled by giant straw? Towering mural leaves public mystified.

A towering mural on the side of the Connally Hotel has mystified Atlanta since 2011. Who is the kneeling man, and what's piercing him? Is it a beam of light? A drinking straw?

OPINION

I just graduated college. Will I be able to buy a house like my parents did?

A recent college grad asks: Am I going to be able to buy a home like my parents did less than 30 years ago?