Back in July I noted that Chick-fil-A would be opening in Walnut Creek and last Thursday they finally opened. I had a chance to stop by on Saturday and it was absolutely packed. I’ve noted how crowded The Habit Burger Grill gets but this was nothing compared to Chick-fil-A. Even with more seating, the line wrapped throughout the restaurant and out the door despite what the Chick-fil-A president had to say about ‘traditional’ marriage. There were no protests on Saturday when I checked it out mid-day. Note that I was here strictly for the opening to see what it was all about for this post.
I also posted a video of Larry David in the Palestinian Chicken episode on Curb Your Enthusiasm which I thought was particularly apt in this situation. However having tried the chicken strips I have to say that the Larry Davids of the world don’t have to worry about this dilemma. The chicken strips I tried were mushy. When I think of chicken sandwiches my baseline is Bakesale Betty in Oakland. Now that’s a chicken sandwich. Of course, this is a fast food joint so maybe the comparison isn’t fair.
Chicken strips, potato waffle fries, and Chick-fil-A sauce:
The registers:
The car in the playroom is cool:
The most interesting thing about my experience at Chick-fil-A is that they offer table service without a number. Keep in mind that the restaurant was absolutely packed. I get to the register, order and they ask my name. I asked for my number and they told me I can sit wherever I wanted to. I asked the cashier how they did it and she said she’s physic. So I go find a seat in the corner hidden away, and sure enough another woman brings me my food. “How did you know to bring that to me?” She replied, “We know these things”. I thought that was pretty amazing but wondered how they did it. Were there video cameras or something recording where I sit? It turns out they note something about the customer in order to make them easier to find. Apparently it works almost all the time. In my case I was wearing a green jacket, and was by myself, which narrowed it down to one possibility, me. Pretty clever.