8 Things Chick-Fil-A Employees Know That Customers Don't

If you're a faithful Chick-fil-A customer, you might already know that there are several menu hacks you can try. And you probably also already know that some of the best desserts and the tastiest drinks are on the secret menu. But as a customer, your inside knowledge can only go so far. If you really want to know about the inner workings of this popular fast food chain, you have to go straight to the people who work there.

So, that's what we did. We scanned the fountain of all Chick-fil-A employee knowledge (also known as Reddit) to look up things workers know that customers don't. And we found out some pretty enlightening information, from why they're always saying a certain phrase to what it's like working a busy drive-thru to why a certain sweet treat probably isn't worth your time.

If you're fascinated by the behind-the-scenes of the fast food industry, this one is for you. You're welcome. No, sorry — we mean, it's our pleasure.

At most restaurants, when you thank the server for your food, they'll respond with a simple "you're welcome" or maybe "no problem." But at Chick-fil-A, that's not the case. Nope, at this particular fast food chain, employees are expected to take their politeness to the next level by saying "my pleasure" instead. Founder Truett Cathy got the idea when he visited the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the early 2000s. He enjoyed the way that employees would look at him, smile, and say "my pleasure" when he thanked them. After that, he felt inspired to elevate the level of hospitality offered in the fast food industry by encouraging his own workers to say "my pleasure," too.

According to Chick-fil-A employees, saying "my pleasure" isn't forced on them, but it is frowned upon if they don't say it. During training, they're instructed to say the phrase, and for some, it becomes second nature to the extent that they start saying it outside of work, too. "They ingrain you with replacing '[you're] welcome' with 'my pleasure' so much during training and your time working there that you usually don't realize when you say it," said one Redditor.

Several fast food chains in the U.S. have religious roots, but Chick-fil-A is arguably the most identifiable Christian brand in the industry. In fact, its official corporate purpose statement is "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us." Its decision to close on Sundays is, of course, also motivated by religious reasons, as this is the traditional Christian day of worship.

Christianity might be intertwined with Chick-fil-A's brand identity, but according to employees, many people who work there actually aren't religious at all. Instead of heading to church on Sundays, they still enjoy the weekend day off, choosing to relax instead. That said, while workers may not be religious, they may still have to verbally recite the chain's corporate purpose to become a senior employee.

This seems to vary from location to location, but most workers accept that this is part and parcel of working for a Christian company. "It's not asking the team member to state their religious beliefs (or lack of), just what the company's beliefs are," explained a Redditor and Chick-fil-A manager in the r/ChickFilAWorkers subreddit.

Chick-fil-A has had some major scandals in its time, but one of the biggest is its repeated stance against LGBTQ rights. It has donated to several anti-LGBTQ charities in the past, and many employees have spoken out about their experiences with homophobia during their time working for the chain. CEO Dan Cathy has also faced major backlash over comments against gay marriage.

However, lately, some restaurants seem to be trying to separate themselves from this homophobic reputation. In December 2025, one Utah location posted a congratulatory message to a newlywed gay couple alongside images of the pair outside one of its restaurants. Many customers were thrilled by the post, but some were offended and chose to write to Chick-fil-A to complain. In response, Chick-fil-A reiterated its diversity, equity, and inclusion policy and claimed it was striving towards inclusion.

Many workers say the restaurants they work at are welcoming to everyone, and hire many members of the LGBTQ community. That said, plenty are also openly critical of the chain's former anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. "I agree that our CEO should have just shut his mouth and let people be who they want to be," said one Redditor. "I have worked with many people who were openly gay, and even one of my day managers is non-binary."

Chick-fil-A's drive-thrus are another point of contention for many customers. People say they're busy, congested, chaotic, and there are too many lanes and not enough crosswalks. This has led some people to express concerns for the safety of workers, who are often outside taking and delivering orders to drivers.

But according to some workers, the chain does have a system in place to keep employees safe. Multiple security cameras allow employees to monitor traffic, for example, and the drive-thrus themselves are designed to stop cars from bumping into anyone with metal pillars. There are also rules that workers have to follow to keep themselves as safe as possible, including wearing high-vis vests at night and keeping a safe distance from cars. "We maintain a rule where we keep five feet from the curb when there are no visible cars," explained a Reddit user. "And you must stay on the curb when taking someone's order."

That said, not everyone has a positive experience of working the drive-thru at Chick-fil-A. One worker complained on Reddit that the fumes from the cars were making them feel physically ill. In response, fellow employees advised them to speak to their manager for support. "Most of the time, if one of my kids [asks] nicely about moving or changing positions, I'll see what I can do," someone noted in the r/ChickFilAWorkers subreddit. "And especially if it's something that seems problematic health-wise."

It might have experienced its fair share of controversies, but Chick-fil-A is still a hit with millions of Americans. In fact, it has been crowned America's favorite fast food restaurant 11 times in a row, according to the American Consumer Satisfaction Index. Another survey from investment bank Piper Sandler reveals that Chick-fil-A is particularly popular with teens. In fact, in 2025, it was the top preferred chain restaurant for this age group, above McDonald's and Chipotle. 

Workers see this in practice, of course, and say that they're always serving teenagers. But some have observed that the chain is pretty popular with older people, too. "Old people love Chick-fil-A, most specifically, privileged people," says a Redditor. Other workers say they have had negative experiences with this particular demographic. One unnamed Reddit user claimed in the r/ChickfilAWorkers sub that they "see a bunch of old people all the time," adding that they're usually "rude and entitled." Listen, don't shoot the messenger. And in the interest of fairness, many workers say the teens are pretty annoying, too.

If you're heading to Chick-fil-A, chances are you're craving something, well, chicken-y. But the chain offers many menu items without chicken, including its beloved waffle fries. There are also sweet treats like the Icedreams and chocolate fudge brownies. However, some workers say you should think twice before you order the latter.

This is because they might have been sitting around for a while. "Brownies don't exactly have a set time [to be thrown out] because they are almost like they are non-perishable," said an employee on Reddit. "I have personally never seen how they make [them], I just think it's a little suspicious." They're not alone in being wary of the brownies. Other workers say they have seen brownies sitting around for up to three days before they're thrown out.

Other workers say the brownies are just, well, not that exciting. They're not made fresh, and they usually arrive at the stores frozen and have to be thawed out, which may impact the taste.

Brownies aside, Chick-fil-A has a pretty good reputation when it comes to food quality. The chain also takes hygiene and cleanliness very seriously, too. In fact, many people who have worked at Chick-fil-A say it has some of the best cleanliness standards they've ever seen. "I worked there for [three] years and, as everyone has stated, the kitchen was always clean, and I never saw anything that made me not want to eat there," one Redditor commented in the r/ChickFilA sub.

You don't just have to take employees' word for it, though. Health inspectors also regularly hand out top marks for hygiene in the chain's restaurants. "We have a high priority on food safety, almost to a ridiculous degree," said another Redditor. "We get near perfect scores on our health department checks."

That said, Chick-fil-A is not immune to food safety recalls — although these are usually caused by issues outside of its restaurants. In 2018, for example, it was caught up in a major E.coli outbreak due to contaminated lettuce from one of its suppliers.

When our taste-tester ranked fast food milkshakes in 2023, they placed Chick-fil-A's offering at a very respectable fourth place. According to our reviewer, the chain gained points for its range of seasonal choices, but lost a few for being overly sweet. However, they noted that for some, that sweetness might be a plus. And they're right: Chick-fil-A's milkshakes definitely have legions of fans. 

If you're a Chick-fil-A milkshake lover, you might be interested to learn that there is a reason why they stand out. According to workers, they have to follow certain shake-related rules, which involve strict measures on ingredients. For example, to make a chocolate milkshake with Oreo, one Chick-fil-A worker explained you would "squirt the chocolate and the Oreo crumbles twice, put the shake base, ice cream, put the lid on, and blend it together." That last part is key: Shakes are never left to sit in a machine, and they're always blended fresh to order.