Sep 1, 2010

Welcome to Chick-fil-A!

Ever since I moved to the South, I've had an affinity for the incredibly popular fast-food chain, Chick-fil-A. My love for Chick-fil-A is often displayed in my constant Facebook updates. Let's review some from the past year.
and my very favorite mobile upload from when Jenna and I stole borrowed bouquets:
I swear I thought they threw the flowers out at the end of the night so I was just helping them take out the trash...right? Apparently they reuse them. Please forgive me, Jesus.


On May 13th of this year, I updated my status like normal. Little did I know that this post would change my life! 
In response to this, my friend Camille said:

To make a long story short, Rick and Debbie Blind, the owners of a local Chick-fil-A, started reading my blog and enjoying my random Chick-fil-A related statuses. Last week, Rick invited me in for a tour! 
We met up on Tuesday night and discussed all things under the sun: the future of my blog, restaurant reviews, fitness, our moves to the South, andddd of course, he and his wife's history with Chick-fil-A. I learned so much about their process of becoming owners. Chick-fil-A is very selective about whom they choose, and out of numerous applicants each year, only a select few are chosen. The running joke is that it's easier to get into the CIA than Chick-fil-A. I strongly believe the success of this company and quality of their service is due to this difficult selection process.
 

After chit-chatting slash picking each other's brains, it was time for fun! I got to see how things are run in the kitchen, how they store everything, and how food is prepared. Here's a lesson on preparing their #1 selling sandwich.

Meet Andrew, Rick's younger brother/Chick-fil-A extraordinaire: 
Wearing gloves, pick up the marinated chicken breast by the skinny end. This ensures maximum coating potential.
Dip chicken into the milk & egg wash.
Lay chicken in the flour mixture.

Completely cover with flour and press down to coat.
Voila! A perfectly coated chicken breast!

Transfer chicken to the Henny Penny for frying. Did you know that Chick-fil-A cooks their chicken in 100% refined peanut oil, that is not partially hydrogenated? Say no to trans fats!
Say "Bye-bye! Time to fry!" Ok, they don't really say that, but I was thinking it as it was happening.
Four minutes later, remove a delicious original chicken breast.
 Add a buttered, toasted bun, 2 perfect pickles and there you have the #1:


I also learned how to make one of my favorite desserts: an IceDream!
While holding cone underneath, turn on the IceDream machine and let the soft serve flow.
An Icedream cone is your healthiest dessert option at 170 calories. It's better than regular ice cream because it contains less sugar and only 4g of fat.
Ask me if I ate that. I dare you.
People often ask me, "Christina, how do you eat Chick-fil-A so much? They serve fried chicken, waffle fries, and milkshakes? That's not healthy." Pshhhhh. My response: "On naughty days (aka the weekends) I can eat those things, but during the week I select from many of their healthy options." 

The Men's Health book series Eat This, Not That grades Chick-fil-A an A- for food options. "Between the breakfast and lunch menus, there's only one entrée at Chick-fil-A that breaks 500 calories, and that's the 530-calorie Sausage Biscuit." Displayed below are my two favorite entrees.

Chargrilled & Fruit Salad, 230 calories (before dressing & granola topping):

Southwest Chargrilled Salad, 240 calories:

And as much as we all love the famous waffle fries shown here...

there are healthier alternatives. For no additional cost, you can get the carrot & raisin salad or coleslaw. Premium sides include a fruit cup, chicken noodle soup, a side salad, or a yogurt parfait (granola or Oreo topping).
Healthier drink options include 100% juice, milk, low fat chocolate milk, Dasani bottled water, and Diet Lemonade (sooooooo good!).

More reasons why I love this place:
  • They use quality ingredients rather than generic goods.




  • They're all about perfection. See this pickle here? This is deemed unacceptable.




  • Their customer service is outstanding. Everyone is just so darn nice. Have you noticed how often they say "My pleasure" when serving you? I always think, "Your pleasure? Are you kidding me? Plop that Chargrilled sandwich in front of my face and I'll show you what pleasure is."
  •  The funny cow mascot. It's everywhere.




I want to send a huuuuge thank you to Rick for letting me visit and teaching me all about my favorite restaurant. Special thanks to Andrew for showing me how the original sandwich is made and to the other workers for not judging my extreme love for their place of employment. But by far, the very best part of my visit...I got to ride in the Chick-fil-A car! Dreams really do come true, people. You just have to put them in your Facebook status! Ha!
If there is a Chick-fil-A near you, get in your car and go. Right now. If you don't live by one, get on a plane. Otherwise, my heart hurts for you...You are missing out.

67 comments:

  1. This is so awesome. How lucky are you?! I LOVE Chick-fil-A. I always make it a point to go there when I visit the south. I did an internship in ATL, GA and I ate there all the time!! P.S. You look GREAT in the signature car - a match made in chicken heaven!

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  2. this is amazing. do they wear suits to deep fry chicken breasts?? and i would just like to let you know that i beggggged my boyfriend to take me to chick-fil-a 2 nights ago while we were running errands. and NOW i am looking up locations close to my office!

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  3. This is fabulous! I love that you got a backstage pass to the Chick fil a!

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  4. Christine, you are my hero. My nearest Chick Fila is about 2 hours away, it's a sad sad thing. I did enjoy them in college though, as there was one on my campus. Oh those were the days...The chargrilled chicken sandwich is still my favorite. And a side note: my Fiance would average about 20 Chick Fila nuggets a day. True life.

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  5. What an awesome night you had! Josh is obviously an addict and I love their oreo parfaits and side salads (very fresh ingredients for a fast food joint for sure). Love the vehicle.

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  6. you forgot to mention how good their diet lemonade is with vodka!! :) and now i need chickfila in my mouth immediately.

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  7. You are TOO freaking funny! I love that he gave you such an impressive tour. Their sammies are amazing! I just had their chicken biscuits last week - FABULOUS!

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  8. Thanks for the shout out! That was probably the best blog you've ever written. Bravo, Bravo!

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  9. How awesome!!! There is not a single one by me, and you're really making me sad now!!!!

    Jen
    http://jenslosinit.blogspot.com/

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  10. YEA!!! I LOVE Chick-fil-a, I don't count it as fast food either.

    I have honestly never seen how those amazing little sandwiches are made.

    This is an awesome post, thank you for all the details!!

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  11. Awe.some. It's neat to see that they use fresh chicken, even if they do fryyyyy it up.

    My American friends have been hyping Chik-fil-a for years but I haven't traveled near one yet :(

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  12. OMG! So funny you mention the Mens Heath mag, I have been passing that article on to my clients for years now, saying Chick-Fil-A is like one of the ONLY acceptable fast food joints!! I stopped eating chicken, but when I did, this was a once a week staple for me..the grilled chicken sandwich and a small side of waffle fries if I was feeling frisky, the fries never made it through my front door when the bag came to-go.

    Glad you got to spend some behind the scenes time at your dream place, LOL.

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  13. How cool to get a tour! I've never been to a Chik-Fil-a, do they have them in the northeast?

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  14. You need to buy that car! How funny! Could you please find out Andrew's schedule so I can have him serve me? Kelly

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  15. My heart hurts that because of my severe peanut allergy I can NEVER EVER eat there. It makes me so sad.

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  16. Haha- I love this!! How cool!

    Although it's lunch time... and I almost (or DID) ate my screen when I saw that freshly fried chicken... oh yum... GET IN MY BELL-AY!

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  17. OK I JUST got back from chicfila! I am so jealous of your tour!

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  18. I feel like SUCH a bad vegetarian right now! If there is one thing that could turn me back to meat, it would be chic-fil-a. Not even kidding. I used to eat there alll the time. Even in hs, chic-fil-a would come to our school during lunch and sell chicken sandwiches. Luckily I don't have many chic-fil-a's around me in cali, haha. It's awesome you got to go and see it "behind the scenes."

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  19. You know I am going to make a gluten free version of the chicken. The guy I dated my freshman year of high school owns a couple of chick fil a's now. Oddly one of them is the one he worked at in high school. The worst kisser ever, but I am thinking he knows how to make one heck of a chicken sandwich now! I have never tried the carrot salad. I wonder if it is any good? Anyway, now my husband won't stop talking about the freakin' chicken!

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  20. omg they should give you the car!!! seriously, that would be pretty fabulous right. advertising for them, and a new ride for you ;)

    i love finding places that u can absolutely count on for good food!! trust me, if i ever come across this place, i'll make sure to stop in! NOM <3

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  21. Love this blog.. Rick and Andrew are my brothers and I am so glad they gave you the red carpet treatment. I live in Jersey and rarely get to eat Chic-fil-A.. I am always telling them to ship me up some, cause I miss it so much.. Thanks for all of you love and support..

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  22. OMG how cool you got to get a tour of it there!!!??!!!!!! Oh girl only you would get to do that, you LOVE your chic-fil-a !!!!!! I am loving the pic of you in the suv, so cute! U should seriously be their spokesmodel, a hot chick that eats chik-fil-a , Bingo!!!!!!!!!! Love u!!!!

    p.s. saw on facebook you were going to be blogging from chik-fil-a, I wish I lived near you, I would of came down to see you!!!!!

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  23. This is the greatest blog post I've ever read. Have you heard the Chick-Fil-A song? If you haven't, you will die it's so funny! Only a true Chick fan could enjoy this one so much! Enjoy!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsJHqstPuNo

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  24. This post is hilarious yet pretty informative. I enjoyed reading about your life dream ( ;) ) and adventures at Chik-fil-a! I have never dined at one, since I don't think there is one close to me, but I kinda want to now. And I think that's pretty cool that they invited you in for a tour! Very nice. Good customer service and PR!
    :)

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  25. I've NEVER had chik-fil-a!! My only hope of trying it is on my next trip to AZ. Do they have them in Phoenix?! I need waffle fries ASAP!!

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  26. That's so cool! Chik fil A used to be my favorite before I gave up chicken..just cause they have such wholesome ingredients for a fast food joint! We have one on campus and it's always SO crowded. I stay clear from there around lunch time otherwise there's no getting anywhere fast. :P

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  27. I love that you got a tour!! Please tell me Chic-fil-A has contacted you and you get unlimited free Chic-fil-A for life. I feel like you could do for Chic-fil-A what Jared does for Subway. Just an idea... :)

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  28. I love Chick Fil A. It is the only fastfood I eat (usually). Their chargrilled chicken sandwich is great and I also love their nuggets. The 8 pack is the perfect size.

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  29. I seriously thought this was going to end with you dating that guy. He was cute!

    I love Chick Fil A, too. I haven't had it in a long time, but I miss it.

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  30. haha. i love you! your passion for chick-fil-a is outstanding. it is a great place, no denying that.

    i love how you said "it changed your life."

    you definitely deserved that tour. i wish i could have been your guest!

    did you score any freebies??

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  31. so awesome!! :) I really like that they are so selective and all about perfection.. that pickle - wow! :)

    ...and I want that bag of Oreo cookie pieces - NOM! :) I'd also love that buttered bun + pickle + chix sandwich you made, that sounds SOOO delicious right now...

    HA! just read eatmovewrite's comment... I was thinking the same thing - a match made in Chick Fil A !! ;)

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  32. I love Chick Fil A too. Great post.

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  33. What?! No fricking way! He was reading your blog?! Oh my God...can he fly me to the States for some Chick-Fil-A ?? :) LOL.

    Love it!

    ...and his younger brother is cute ;)...just sayin'

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  34. OMG- you are SO funny, but this really is SO COOL!!! It's like a behind the scenes @ Chick Fil A! And, that IceDream- holy moly, that looks awesome! I didn't know they had that Southwest salad- it looks really good. I need to try it soon. The Chick-fil-a by my office is ALWAYS packed- because it's SO freakin' good :D
    If I had the money, I would totally buy you a chick fil a car :) :)

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  35. Wow! I'm super-impressed with how FRESH everything is there! I haven't eaten there in a couple of years, but there's nothing like a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit with grape jelly...gaaaah now I want to go!

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  36. oh yeah, i'm totally the same way. try to eat extra healthy during the week, and have my indulgences on the weekend. ya gotta be wild sometimes, right? :)

    that salad looked really good, i may just have to jump on a plane and hit one up:)

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  37. Oh, Christina, you really know how to make my day. I think you need to "borrow" that care ASAP. I didn't know that Chick-fil-A hand breaded their chicken. I figured it was the processed stuff found at most places. I promise to give them much more credit from now on.

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  38. you are awesome. we are FINALLY getting a chik-fil-a in five points and i could not be more thrilled

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  39. I never really knew what Chick-fil-A was, but they don't really seem like your typical fast food joint. I'm impressed they use real chicken breasts! But so NOT impressed at their use of peanut oil. Now I'll never be able to eat there. :P

    PS. Why is their mascot a cow if they are famous for their chicken??

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  40. You make me smile :)

    Anytime I see a Chick Fil A billboard now, I think of you lol

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  41. You are too cute, and thats awesome that you got a back stage pass to chick-fil-a!

    xo

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  42. Hah, I love that you got to see how they make it! AND ride in the car! We don't have chick fil a around here, but I think the commercials are so funny.

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  43. I always love your Chick-fil-A posts!! Seriously, why don't you apply to be a franchisee? It may be competitive, but nobody has enthusiasm to match yours!

    We actually had a Chick-fil-A on my college campus, except sadly it was not up to par. It was run by the same staff that ran our cafeteria (and that's NOT a good thing!). And HOW did they not have had an icedream maker?!

    I'm trying to plan a trip to Charleston this fall!! A visit with you and Chick-fil-A are definitely on my to-do list. :-)

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  44. The chicken and fruit salad is sooo good!

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  45. You are too cute! I love Chik-fil-A! I used to ear there all the time...I love their little side and carrot salads..they make a perfect afternoon snack! And did you know you can ask for a wheat bun instead of a regular bun on your chicken sanwhich? I think it costs like a few extra cents but it's worth it..and fluffier and yummier than the regular ones!! I used to always get a grilled chik on wheat with a side salad +extra sunflower seeds! ..and the people that world there really are quality people. I used to know a guy who owned one and he was a really really good guy. I also love how they are closed on Sunday. Chik-fil-A keeps it real :)

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  46. This was probably one of my favorite posts!!!

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  47. omg! how adorable! you are too cute. i heart chik-fil-a as well! i think it might just be on the lunch menu today....... :O) xo

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  48. Bahaha, love you and love this post!

    We have a Chick-fi-shizz (what my Hubbs calls it!) literally 2 MILES from our house and when I did Body-for-Life and we had our "free day", we went there ALL the time! OMG, amazing! I can't wait until competition is over so I can frequent the Chain of Chains once more!

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  49. Great post! I visiting Chick Fil A for the first time this past weekend in Overland Park Kansas and I was very impressed. Wondering if there are any here in New York City.

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  50. You need to open one. I bet you'd blow sales through the roof with your advertising. I didn't know they hand breaded the chicken there. Not surprised because it's totally delicious. I need some diet lemonade right this second!

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  51. What an awesome adventure! OMG, so glad I live in the midwest otherwise I'd be there every day - love that spicy chicken sandwich.

    And I guess I never realized that they even had salads! :D

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  52. That is AWESOME. I had no idea that Chik-fil-A was that good. Love that you were in the car lol you cutie you

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  53. That is so cool that you got to tour Chickfila! I like it there but it's nothing compared to you! LOL! I think Chickfila is one of the healthiest fast food places around...YUM!

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  54. "Ask me if I ate that. I dare you."
    well.
    did you eat it?

    ahha JK. that icedream cone looks like a total dream. you made me want vanilla fro yo soo badly! :)

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  55. I love Chick-Fil-A, how cool that you were able to see how things are prepared.

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  56. LOVED THIS POST, Christina! And love you and your chick-loving ways, too. I totally agree that we all need our "naughty" days. I didn't know they served soft-serve cones, too. They are supposed to come to my school within a few months. I can't wait to try my first Chik-Fil-A! :D

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  57. Oh this is so funny--I used to eat chick-fil-a in college, but there is no longer one around here. I love the cow print car!

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  58. Only you would get a personal tour of ChickfilA... hilarious

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  59. Hahaha! That is hilarious! Someday I will travel to a place that has ChilfilA and try some of that goodness!

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  60. HAHA, love this!! There's only one Chick Fil A in NYC...and it's in an NYU dorm. AKA you need a student ID to get in, but there are always random people trying to break in. Too funny. If you're ever in NYC I'll sign you in to get your fix ;)

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  61. This is amazing! I am so impressed you were a chick-fil-a VIP!! I looove their nuggets and ice dream :)

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  62. this chicken looks delicious!! does chickfila ask employees religious affiliation?

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  63. Oh wow! What a fun opportunity for ya! I've never been to a Chick-fil-A...but if you insist it's that good, I must find one soon :-)

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  64. This is too funny! :) My brother in law runs the Chic-fil-A in Easley, SC- he used to run one in Charleston but they moved. Even their children would always say "my pleasure" even at home lol

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  65. I used to work at Chick-fil-a, and I HATED it! You are right about how selective they are. The one I used to work at had 1,000 applicants when I applied. They hold open interviews every Tuesday night with HUGE groups of people. I had never been to a group interview before so it was kind of awkward. Then I followed up after my interview, a few days later had my second interview, and then I was hired. From a customer's perspective Chick-fil-a looks like the best environment to work in. The truth is, it is not.

    This was definitely not the first job that I was expecting. You have to live, breathe, and think for that company. All of the employees have to go to constant trainings, watch a gazillion movies, and have work meetings constantly. If you do not say "My Pleasure" then you get in trouble. Also they have this thing called second mile service where every 15 min. 1-2 employees have to go to every single table and make conversation with the customer's. It is just so phony and the customer's hate just as much as the employees. It felt like a colt. They are constantly saying you need to smile more, have you done second mile, say my pleasure instead, ect.

    Needless to say, I still love their food, but I would never reccomend working there. Every since I moved on to Einstein Bro's Bagels, I couldn't be happier. I get paid more and am more respected :)

    -Court

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  66. i could eat at chick fil-a for every meal, every day for the rest of my life and die a happy girl.

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