Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center

Kate Thomas didn’t expect the very structured world of accounting to allow her to pursue her passion for innovation. Then, she landed in her role at Chick-fil-A, Inc. where innovation is welcomed in every role at every level.     Kate recalls how innovation makes its way into her daily tasks. 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, locally owned and operated Chick-fil-A restaurants and Chick-fil-A, Inc. are supporting those impacted – including residents, local Owner-Operators and their Team Members.    Staff member Mark Ellison has volunteered with Team Chick-fil-A, a group of Support Center Staff, in Asheville, North Carolina this week, where Chick-fil-A's mobile kitchen is preparing thousands of chicken sandwiches and distributing to the community.    “It’s been especially meaningful for me to serve the Asheville community this week. It’s really been a full circle moment for me, as I was first introduced to the brand as a college student experiencing a natural disaster. My college town had suffered a tornado, and the local Owner-Operator was on campus distributing food to students. The selflessness and care shown on that day, putting people first – is what sparked my interest in joining the organization. I’m truly humbled to have the opportunity to serve the Asheville community.”   Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ghFBdZBv 

“Technology is prioritized throughout the entire Chick-fil-A, Inc. organization, and at the Corporate Support Center, we’re pushing the envelope with innovation now more than ever.    My job as Senior Project Lead for Smart Equipment is to strategically deploy software that supports equipment capability across 3,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants.     My role sits within the Test & Rollouts team, and we partner cross-functionally with manufacturers and suppliers to develop and deploy software updates to connected restaurant equipment.    These software updates can sometimes be small evolutions, simply because Chick-fil-A is a mature business. But in addition to that day-to-day, we are building a significant foundation of data that will facilitate a higher level of automation on the horizon.    For example, imagine a Chick-fil-A restaurant experience where real-time data provides the kitchen with automated forecasting of how much chicken to fry and how many waffle fries to prepare, based on the number of cars in the drive-thru.    Ultimately, this aligns with our core value “We’re here to serve,” by freeing up restaurant Team Members to demonstrate the most welcoming hospitality towards their guests, while serving freshly cooked meals on time.     The data groundwork we are laying will support really cool innovation in the future. It’s an exciting time for tech professionals to be working in Restaurant Development, here at Chick-fil-A, Inc., and I’m glad to be a part of it.” - Caleb Hand, Test & Rollouts, Restaurant Development    #ChickfilAIncLife #Innovation #RestaurantDevelopment 

When natural disasters impact the communities we serve, we look for opportunities to show additional care. Chick-fil-A, Inc. and the American Red Cross are working together to provide relief and assistance to people, families and communities whose lives have been affected by Hurricane Helene. To double the impact, Chick-fil-A will match each dollar donated up to $500,000. Thank you for helping us lift up others during this time of need!  https://lnkd.in/deWBnsY

“My time as a Co-Op at Chick-fil-A’s Corporate Support Center was with the Supply Chain department. I worked on the team that checked quality and safety for our packaging suppliers – the manufacturers who produce Chick-fil-A's takeout containers, straws, and other products that support the operation of the restaurant.     Believe it or not, Chick-fil-A restaurants have over 400 SKU numbers representing all the products used for packaging. In other words, there are hundreds of unique products that are used for consuming food, containing meals, transporting takeout and so much more.    Part of what the Supply Chain team does is travel to supplier facilities to see the production of these valuable items in person. This helps to ensure quality, safety and care for Chick-fil-A Owner-Operators and Guests.    For example, consider the waffle fry carton. Just that one product is made by multiple suppliers, and each of those suppliers produce the cartons in several different facilities – that adds up to a lot of site visits!      Even though we frequently traveled to supplier facilities during my co-op experience, I was amazed at how much care and camaraderie I still felt from my team. We were intentional about staying connected through weekly meetings and catching up with each other’s personal lives. Everyone was always so kind.”     Emmaline Zeiler, former Co-Op, now Sr. Project Specialist, Supplier Quality and Safety     #ChickfilACoOp  #SupplyChain 

Applicants face a question when applying for an internship: Which should I pursue? Would you advise future interns to pursue one over the other? Might interns find success pursuing a little of both? Tell us your advice in the comments!

“Co-Ops at the Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center do projects that make a valuable impact on the business and show genuine care for people.    During my Co-Op semesters in Supply Chain, one of the projects I worked on was using material science to support a solution to a slightly stinky challenge.      Through a quality control submission tool, we learned that some of the garbage bags at our local restaurants have been ripping too easily. Bags would break at times, so some Team Members were double bagging as a safeguard.     In response, we are working with several restaurant Owner-Operators to gain feedback on a possible new material for these garbage bags. We recommended testing a different type of polyethylene with a higher tensile strength (the max you can stretch something before it breaks), so it shouldn’t pull apart as easily.    We completed the testing and submitted the project for review. Although there have been no approvals yet, what I found exciting was the chance to see how a small product material change could have the possibility of making such a meaningful impact.    If the garbage bag reliability can be increased, the Chick-fil-A restaurant Team Members are more supported. Then, they can demonstrate even better care for Guests in the dining room. If restaurants use one bag instead of two, that could potentially mean product cost savings. But best of all, the Team Members can get home to their family or friends at the end of their workday, without encountering an unpleasant and surprising mess.     During my Co-Op semesters, and now working as a full-time Staff member in Supplier Quality and Safety, I have discovered that caring for others is the best part of this job. Saving money for the business is cool, but making a difference for our people is so fulfilling.”    Emmaline Zeiler, former Co-Op, now Sr. Project Specialist, Supplier Quality and Safety    #LifeAtChickfilAInc  #SupplyChain  #ChickfilACoOp 

“My family moved to the US from Venezuela when I was growing up. I learned English in middle school, adapted to a new culture and relocated multiple times.     After going through those challenges, I discovered that there’s nothing I cannot figure out.     Working at a Chick-fil-A restaurant through high school and college, I found that my problem-solving skills equipped me to take on increasing responsibilities.    And this year, I was beyond excited to participate in a summer internship at the Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center. I used my restaurant experience, leadership skills and college education in Marketing to ‘figure out’ a plan for a project that was super meaningful to me.    You see, in the restaurants, we celebrate Chick-fil-A-branded events like “Sunshine Days” to inspire kindness and the “Summer of Cows” to encourage fun.     But at the Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center, staff may sometimes feel disconnected from these events.     So, one of my internship projects was to bring those brand activations to life at Chick-fil-A's Atlanta-based corporate offices.     One critical part of making this happen was cross-functional collaboration. I worked hard to coordinate with multiple departments including Campus Experience, Brand, Communications and Culture to ensure that our activations were aligned with each of these teams and the valuable work that they do.    The end product? We built standard operating procedures for tentpole activations at the Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center using marketing visuals, fun activities, giveaways and more.     The goal was to boost the connection between corporate staff and the restaurants so that staff can provide even better support. And that connection is already growing - the first activation went live in July!    For me, the work allowed me to contribute value in the field that I’m most passionate about – marketing – for the brand that I have grown to love so much – Chick-fil-A!”    - Diego Gonzalez, Chick-fil-A Summer 2024 former Intern    #LifeAtChickfilAInc  #ChickfilASummerIntern  #SummerInternship    To search and apply for Chick-fil-A internship opportunities, visit: https://lnkd.in/eviDBazH

"When I applied for Chick-fil-A Inc.’s summer internship at the Corporate Support Center, I was worried that someone like me – an undergraduate student from a small college – wouldn’t be selected.     I learned quickly that it wasn’t the size of my college that mattered – it was the heart I put into the process.    It took me two years of applying to get in, but once I put my full effort and passion into the application and interviews, my persistence paid off. I was thrilled to make the cut for an internship and get real-world work experience related to my field of study - Marketing.     I had worked at a Chick-fil-A restaurant before applying for the internship, but once I worked at the Corporate Support Center, I could see the company from a broader perspective – and I fell in love with the Chick-fil-A brand even more."    - Diego Gonzalez, Chick-fil-A, Inc. Summer 2024 former Intern    #LifeAtChickfilAInc  #ChickfilASummerIntern To search and apply for Chick-fil-A internship opportunities, visit: https://lnkd.in/eviDBazH

Students - Chick-fil-A, Inc. 2025 Internship and Co-Op positions are now posted online!    Discover the possibilities and view open positions on the Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center Careers page.     Internship positions: https://lnkd.in/eviDBazH    Co-Op positions: https://lnkd.in/eTkNdCyq    #ChickfilAInterns  #ChickfilACoOps