Gilmer residents can hear “my pleasure” once again. A renovated Chick-fil-A has reopened its doors, after fans patiently waited months to order their chicken sandwiches and waffle fries.
Leaders of the fast-food restaurant in East Ellijay invited friends and family to a soft opening Tuesday, April 22. It allowed staff to practice cooking and prepping in the newly designed kitchen and make sure all machines worked properly.
The soft opening went smoothly, and they opened to the public Thursday, April 24. A total of 2,081 customers were served, successfully making Chick-fil-A $33,937 in sales, according to Operations Director Hannah Eskew.
Chick-fil-A closed earlier this year on Jan. 9, to undergo its lengthy renovation, where the interior of the store was completely demolished and rebuilt.
Its kitchen used to be an L-shape model, but it now features a centerline layout. The reconfiguration allows for more equipment and a streamlined, assembly process. The new kitchen also features a larger cooler space that’s double the size of the previous one.
“We were very limited on our production, so everyone was in one space, and one person would probably have to do like three different jobs,” Eskew said. “But with the centerline, it really improves our space and our ability to move faster and quicker.”
Another major part of the renovation was expanding the cockpit for staff to get orders ready. The new space cuts slightly into the dining room, taking away some seating.
“They extended the cockpit out into the dining room to give us more space and freedom to work,” Administrative Operations Lead Jenna Thomas said at the soft opening. “We’re really excited for it and ready to start.”
An automated, sliding door was added to the drive-thru, compared to just a window. The full door will allow staff to serve drivers in the line with more ease and give better access to the cockpit.
Around 20 additional team members were hired, Eskew said, thanks to the larger cockpit allowing for more employees to work side by side.
Before the renovation, four to six people could fit but were always bumping into each other. Now, seven to eight people can work the drive-thru alone, helping with service speed as well, she noted.
Team leader Cheyenne Jensen also expressed her excitement for the new cockpit, where staff will be bagging food and making drinks. She added that her team will be able to do twice the work and more efficiently.
The refreshed dining room for customers to grab a seat and enjoy their meal is equipped with all new walls, tables, chairs and lighting fixtures. Restrooms have been updated as well.
“The seating’s completely changed,” Jensen said with excitement. “Everything looks a little more up-to-date, more homey to the community and more comfortable.”
Outside, the parking lot is slightly enlarged with a merging, double-lane drive-thru. Eskew explained that it should be able to fit twice the amount of cars it could before the renovation.
East Ellijay Mayor Don Callihan attended the soft opening with two of his grandkids, where he said, “My granddaughters will finally be happy they can come back to Chick-fil-A. They’ve missed this since it’s been closed.”
Chick-fil-A has returned to its normal hours from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It’s still closed on Sundays.