Administrators Are Applauding Success of Chick-fil-A Franchise

Chick-fil-A, the new fast food restaurant that replaced the sandwich area in the Greenhouse, is now open, and managers say the new self-service system is much more convenient.

"Instead of having people tied up, this is very, very convenient," Bob Symonds, the assistant manager for the Greenhouse, said in an interview in July. "[The sandwiches are] already prepared. It really helps people."

Chick-fill-A opened on the first day of summer school, and business was brisk almost from the start, said Michael P. Berry, director of Harvard Dining Services.

"If we were judging from summer school, it's above our normal summer crowd," Berry said in July. "We are very pleased with it so far."

Berry said that while Chick-fil-A has reduced the crowding in the food service area, people have simply moved to a different part of the Greenhouse.

"[Crowding] used to be at the counter, but now all four of the registers are going and there are still lines," Berry said.

However, Berry said dining services was working to remedy that crowding, especially during the peak hours of 12 to 2 p.m. and 4:30 to 7 p.m.

"We'll add at least a fifth [register] and a sixth, if there's room," Berry said. "We're pretty cramped already."

Berry said that in preparation for Chick-fil-A's opening, two staff members were sent to the company's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Two other managers and two hourly workers went to Philadelphia to work in a Chick-fil-A franchise.

"We were in there for observation and training," said Symonds, who went to Philadelphia.

"We [brought] two cooks with us, and we trained everyone else [at Harvard]," he added.

Chick-fil-A serves its own chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, chargrilled chicken sandwiches and chick-n-strips, which are chicken tenderloins marinated and breaded. The fast food restaurant offers cole slaw and waffle potato fries as side dishes.

The chain offers a variety of beverages, including both lemonade and diet lemonade, as well as sweetened and unsweetened iced tea.

The dessert menu features cheesecake, fudge nut brownies and lemon pie.

The Chick-fill-A will be open in September from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.