Photo: Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A is giving NYC delivery workers a ‘brake’
DoorDash, Grubhub and UberEats delivery workers may not be employees of Chick-fil-A but they are critical to the restaurant’s performance as it expands in New York City. That’s why the chicken chain and its restaurant operators have opened “The Brake Room,” a storefront pop-up where these gig workers can take a break between deliveries.
Chick-fil-A, like other restaurant operators, has seen demand for delivery grow in recent years with orders reaching their highest levels during the winter months of 2022.
“We see the same food delivery workers come through nearly every day of the week, several times a day, and how taking an extra second to warm-up between deliveries or offering a glass of water helps to fuel them on for their shift,” Jared Caldwell, a Chick-fil-A owner/operator, said in a statement. “The food delivery community helps to power our businesses, and this is just our small way of showing appreciation for all they do.”
The Brake Room, which opened yesterday on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, can be accessed by delivery workers Monday through Saturday between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. The space is open to food delivery workers showing proof of having made a delivery within the past week through an eligible third-party service app. Delivery workers have access to bathrooms, beverages, bike storage, outlets for phone chargers, places to sit and Wi-Fi. The Brake Room will remain open through April 13.
“Every day, Chick-fil-A operators look to show care for their team members and the communities in which their restaurants are located. The food delivery community is an extension of the same experience Chick-fil-A restaurants provide our guests, and an increasingly significant part of the business,” said Joe Saracino, senior vice president of brand strategy, advertising and media at Chick-fil-A. “We created The Brake Room as a small gesture, a little thing to thank them for all they do to serve our guests, especially in a market experiencing high demand in sometimes harsh winter weather conditions.”
CNN reports that New York City has a similar plan in mind. Mayor Eric Adams in October announced an initiative to turn empty spaces like vacant newsstands into rest areas for delivery workers. “Most people have a break room to rest while at work, app-based food delivery workers do not,” said the mayor.
BrainTrust
Dave Bruno
Director, Retail Market Insights, Aptos
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How do you expect Chick-fil-A’s Brake Room to affect its relationship with delivery workers in New York? How likely are other restaurant operators, retailers or delivery services to offer something similar to Chick-fil-A’s Brake Room to gig workers?
What’s not to like about this idea? Kudos to Chick-fil-A for the thoughtful gesture, which I suspect will also build loyalty for their restaurants among the delivery worker community. It’s likely not a small investment in rent, either, being in an NYC Upper East Side neighborhood. Nonetheless the PR, brand and loyalty benefits should provide meaningful ROI.
Wow — what a great idea. I hope other businesses will offer this in the future.
It’s difficult to argue with the premise and it appears to be a win-win. It will be interesting to see if other operators offer something similar and, more importantly, it will be interesting to see if this has any effect on the debate about gig economy workers – contractors versus employees. It is a significant investment and someone is bound to ask if it wouldn’t be better to just hire drivers as employees.
Anytime you can endear yourself to others in the industry it’s a win/win. Chick-fil-A is known for its hospitality, and now they extend that to people who just need a break — even if they don’t buy one of those delicious chicken sandwiches! Love it!
This is a smart action that recognizes the needs of the delivery workers. But why limit the hours? Why end on April 13? The mayor is pursuing the real answer. These delivery workers have become an intricate part of the city’s economy.
If Chick-fil-A really wants to endear themselves to the delivery people, they would find a way to reward them over and above the $2 per delivery they make.
Chick-fil-A is always taking the next step and serving their communities. This is a great gesture and I think it will inspire others to take action. I’m not sure why it is only open until April 13th. Maybe they want to review utilization before committing longer term? Regardless, I think it is a great gesture and marketing effort.
Brilliant. Love it. Thank you, Chick-fil-A!
An interesting idea — for sure! — but I wonder how long it can continue before some trouble maker in finance asks for a cost/benefit accounting.
And not to overlook the obvious: this is Manhattan, where the density of delivery people must be like lady-bugs on a stem … how transferable is this to other areas?