SNU officially opened Chick-fil-A in the Fall of last year and it was immediately a popular dining option for the campus community. Chick-fil-A is already a well-known Christian-based establishment that’s praised for its friendly employees, atmosphere, and delicious chicken-based meals. So, the idea of adding a Chick-fil-A at SNU made sense from both a business standpoint and to offer something already well-liked for students, faculty, and staff alike. Now, halfway through the second semester, it’s clear that it has not waned in popularity.
To understand the impact of Chick-fil-A, I interviewed Trio Financial Literacy and Retention Specialist, Rosaria Garcia, two students, Eli Redinger and Noah Kent, and finally, student and Chick-fil-A worker, Brooklyn Word. All three agreed, commenting on the high-quality food and the continuous number of students waiting in line. They also unanimously agreed that Chick-fil-A has been a successful inclusion.
Chick-fil-A has brought new energy to the campus since its establishment and has been bringing students back regularly. However, with the restaurant still less than a year old, it is bound to have room for improvement. The people I interviewed had some suggestions. Garcia responded, “I hope they consider offering employee discounts on more items from the menu…I would also love it if they could offer a breakfast menu and expand their chicken wrap options.” Redinger shared a similar sentiment saying, “I’d like to see them open for breakfast and incorporate something healthier in the menu.” Kent included, “I think being given a certain dollar amount would be helpful when you’re not trying to buy a full combo,” while also adding, “I think taking some sandwiches to the Sawyers building for weekend basketball games would help bring more students to SNU games and still make Chick-fil-A available during the weekend.” Word concluded, “I can see Chick-fil-A becoming a selling point for the school.” She also added, “I can see SNU improving the meal plan for most of the items that are unavailable for flex money by giving students an included $10 dollars before paying with flex money.”
SNU’s addition of Chick-fil-A has been a great success for this small college and has even outshined previous options that occupied its location in the basement of the Webster Commons. SNU’s campus pastor, Blair Spindle said, “Originally we had POPS LOUNGE in the Commons basement and it served food and coffee. Then after the Coffee Shop was constructed in the Library, it was called the 405. The food was pretty good in the 405 but it took a long time to get it. They offered burgers, burritos, chicken strips, etc.”
The basement environment has been lively thanks to Chick-fil-A, and its employees who have successfully created a welcoming environment to visit. Over the year, Chick-fil-A has given students new options for meals. without losing momentum. I, along with many others in the SNU community, am excited to see what the future holds for SNU”s Chick-fil-A.
Photos by Jose Ramos