The One Piece Of Kitchen Equipment You'll Never See At Chick-Fil-A
Whether you're a fan of their famously delicious chicken or enjoy getting your regular dose of fast food, it's likely that you can count Chick-fil-A among your list of go-to chains. According to QSR, it's ranked as the fifth most popular fast food restaurant in America. With over $10 billion in American sales in 2019, Chik-fil-A is a brand many people trust with their all-time favorite orders. According to one former employee, in a blog posted to Lemonade Stand, Chick-fil-A really does have a few tricks up its sleeve that contribute to the brand's success.
For example, the team attaches a lot of importance to communication. The former Assistant Manager for Catering explained that regular meetings allow the team to reflect on the week, including the orders they received from customers and how they could do better. Also, when it comes to pulling things off as a team, the employees at Chick-fil-A enjoy transparency.
So, it's pretty much an open secret that there's one device that you'll never be able to find in a Chick-fil-A kitchen. Hint: It is an everyday item, a kitchen staple for most of us. Read on to know the answer.
The Chik-fil-A team doesn't use microwaves
It may be tough to believe this, but it's true. The team at Chick-fil-A steers clear of microwaves and you'll never spot one inside a Chick-fil-A kitchen. As explained by the former employee on Lemonade Stand, everything is added to a massive walk-in fridge that is filled with fresh produce every morning. There is no room for stale food or old ingredients here. This matters because restaurants commonly use pre-made food, and dishes straight out of a microwave may seriously let you down in terms of flavor and texture. The last thing you need is mac and cheese that's simply been heated up in a microwave, right? As another former employee wrote on Reddit: "At my old Chick-fil-A we had a running joke that microwaves were banned within a 15 ft radius of our restaurant."
Plus, the environment inside a Chick-fil-A kitchen is upbeat and fun: the former employee said you can expect to see the staff members listening to music while running their stations in an organized manner.
Plus, every station is wiped clean as often as necessary, and the staff members have instructions they can follow on their screens to figure out which food item to work on next. The ex-employee wrote on Lemonade Stand, "Each sandwich is a work of art and beautifully stacked. Each nugget is evenly coated and fried until golden brown. Perfectly crisp waffle fries are only out of the fryer for five minutes otherwise they are no longer 'perfectly crisp,' and a new batch is made." Impressive.