Bringing Chick-fil-A Values to New York

Chick-fil-A is famous for its southern hospitality. To every “thank you” expressed to a Chick-fil-A employee, you’ll receive a smiling response of “my pleasure.”

This behavior is built into their corporate culture – and core value – of Service, a genuine desire to have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.

But this weekend marks the beginning of something new for the growing restaurant chain. They are opening their first full-service store in New York, NY – at 37th Street and Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan – where many people have never heard of Chick-fil-A and eye contact is not encouraged.

New York is also one of the toughest and most unforgiving restaurant markets in the country. Yet, the leadership of Chick-fil-A expects to see double-digit growth in the first year, compared to stores open more than a year. In addition, It’s important to note that Chick-fil-A has the highest annual sales per store in the fast-food business ($3.1 million), in spite of the fact they are closed on Sundays!

How will they achieve success in such a tough market?

By leveraging their values.

An insightful quote from an article in The New York Times:

“The values thing actually helps them,” said Victor Fernandez, executive director for insights at TDn2K’s Black Box Intelligence unit, which collects data on restaurant sales and performance. “Those strong values resonate with a lot of people — and Chick-fil-A has a strong product, too, which doesn’t hurt.”

New Yorkers can also expect to see these values exhibited outside of their in-store experience, where two other key values of the Chick-fil-A culture – volunteerism and giving – are continually demonstrated.

As Chick-fil-A reports on its financial giving programs, there are three key areas it focuses:

• Creating educational opportunities for team members and youth across America.
• Food donations for those serving or in need.
• Developing youth and family/marriage enrichment programs, and supporting local communities.

So, will Chick-fil-A survive and even thrive in the tough New York environment? By sticking to their values, I have no doubt this company will do well there.