Yet ANOTHER Chicken Sandwich

[ExFlyBoy5]

$10k? Really? I swear I thought it was $100k. $10k is truly unheard of for a buy in.

Edit: you are totally correct. $10k, with no asset test! I think I was thinking of a different franchise operation. This is unheard of. Word is only %0.4 of applicants get a franchise. They are "particular" about franchisees fitting into the culture. I think the same is true of their employees.

I really wasn't considering it, but 10 years ago, when ER bug started biting, I at least looked into the idea. Somehow I got the numbers for various franchises mixed up.

It really is amazing, considering what you get. The ROI on that is, well...pretty darn good considering the average store has a revenue of $4.4 million a year. In comparison, that means that one CFA location makes more than a McD's, a Starbucks, and a Subway store COMBINED.

 

[Amethyst]

We haven't, either. We only eat fast food on long car trips, where we are trying to "make time" by not stopping at a better place.

But people did sometimes bring CFA food to work potlucks, so I got to sample sandwiches and some kind of chicken roll-up. It was no better or worse than any other fast-food sandwich. Which is to say, greasy and not very good.

I have never been to Chick-Fil-A. I had no idea that their chicken sandwiches were different from any others.

 

[mpeirce]

CFL treats their people well.

I agree that this is a nice thing.

On the other hand, when I was in a HS senior, I worked Saturday and Sunday mornings at Kmart as a stock boy. I liked working Sundays because I got paid time and a half. So I'd work 16 hours a week and get paid for 20. Not bad for that kind of work.

(on the other hand, I NEVER slept in that year)

 

[Mdlerth]

Mayor McCheese is in cahoots with The Hamburglar

When I was a kid, I loved the Golden Arches. But after ~1980 they must have changed some of their ingredients because I couldn't eat there any more.

Cheeseburgers chewed like ground gristle, and "thick shakes" (no longer "milkshakes") tasted like frosty sweetened styrofoam. Anything from McD's sat in my stomach like a lead sponge soaked in acid.

Whatever I get from CFA looks and tastes like actual food.

 

[ckelly78z]

My problem with McDonalds is their bathrooms. Any bathroom that has a door that pulls into the bathroom area either needs paper towels or a foot pull.

For that reason alone, I can count on 1 hand the amount of times I step into McD's each year.

Back to chicken. I have no idea if CFA has the best sandwich, but the pleasurable encounter with each team member makes it so I don't care if it is or not.

I don't go to McDonalds either. I have been to CFA once, and actually called my wife to complain about the service that was TOO GOOD...it seems they wouldn't leave me alone, and were at my table about 5 times with bubbly attitudes (Argh !)

 

[timo2]

The issue I have with CFA is all the salt in the chicken sandwich. I don't add salt to anything, and most of our food DW prepares at home. Not a low salt diet, but no unnecessary salt. Consequently I can taste the salt in many prepared foods.

 

[JoeWras]

When I was a kid, I loved the Golden Arches. But after ~1980 they must have changed some of their ingredients because I couldn't eat there any more.

Cheeseburgers chewed like ground gristle, and "thick shakes" (no longer "milkshakes") tasted like frosty sweetened styrofoam. Anything from McD's sat in my stomach like a lead sponge soaked in acid.

Whatever I get from CFA looks and tastes like actual food.

Oh, it is no secret that McD's changed a lot right around the time you mention.

Ray Kroc built the franchise (according to his account) on real milkshakes, spun up in a multimixer. What you describe is the change to the automatic machines. They moved to pre-mixed shakes and it has never been the same. This was, not coincidentally, the same time they started serving ice cream out of the machine. This happened sometime in the 70s.

In the 60s, my early childhood, there was a small window on the side of McD's where you could peek inside and watch them flip burgers and cut fries. Yes, cut fries. That didn't last. Fries were one of the first to be produced from their central processor, around 1970.

Anyway, I digress. I grew up in Chicago close to one of the first 50 restaurants. We saw all the changes go down through the years.

 

[GrayHare]

CFA's growth has picked up substantially during the past decade. The larger CFA gets, the more difficult it will be to keep the standards high.

 

[Kelor]

I remember a study that showed how much McDonalds stores increased revenue by just having clean bathrooms. It was a staggering number.

I have a friend that owns several franchises. His revenues go up exponentially every time McDonalds changes the look of their soda glasses. He estimates over $300,000 in revenue losses from people stealing pop every year.

 

[ckelly78z]

He estimates over $300,000 in revenue losses from people stealing pop every year.

Ordering a water, and filling it with Pepsi ?

 

[Free To Canoe]

I like the Wendys chicken sandwich best.

 

[Kelor]

Ordering a water, and filling it with Pepsi ?

No. They bring the same cup back in over and over. I never would have thought it to be an issue until he told me about it.

 

[timo2]

No. They bring the same cup back in over and over. I never would have thought it to be an issue until he told me about it.

Obviously the reusable cups need to biodegrade faster!

 

[prudent_one]

We live not far from a big shopping district that has many fast food and fast casual joints. Add me to the list of people who wonder how CFA can have uniformly nice, friendly and pleasant workers while at a competitor you're surprised if someone acts that way. The workforce is surely all from the same area, yet CFA gets the cream of the crop - and they are the most recent one to open so had "last pick" in hiring.

I don't know how big the impact was on the competition but it has to be meaningful as the CFA parking lot and drive-thru are always busy.

 

[ncbill]

It really is amazing, considering what you get. The ROI on that is, well...pretty darn good considering the average store has a revenue of $4.4 million a year. In comparison, that means that one CFA location makes more than a McD's, a Starbucks, and a Subway store COMBINED.

It is very difficult to get selected as a franchisee...had an acquaintance who worked over 5 years managing various local CFAs before being offered one across the country in as he jokes "the frozen tundra."

If he's fortunate he'll be able to buy out or open a new franchise back here after a few years out there of "proving himself" to corporate HQ.

 

[Chuckanut]

We live not far from a big shopping district that has many fast food and fast casual joints. Add me to the list of people who wonder how CFA can have uniformly nice, friendly and pleasant workers while at a competitor you're surprised if someone acts that way. The workforce is surely all from the same area, yet CFA gets the cream of the crop - and they are the most recent one to open so had "last pick" in hiring.

In my area CFA pays about $1 an hour more than the other big name fast food joints. They also give them every Sunday off. They even have Christmas off!! Maybe they treat them better, give a bit of praise now and then, etc?

 

[Amethyst]

Right there you have your answer.

In my area CFA pays about $1 an hour more than the other big name fast food joints.

 

[MichaelB]

There's no doubt higher pay helps, but employee attitude and behaviour, workplace demeanor and treatment of customers and employees is the result of standards set and pursued by management and the executive team.

 

[samclem]

Right there you have your answer.

That's a start, but not sufficient. The world is full of companies with overpaid workers who do sub-par work.
Good people want to be well led and to work with other good people.
Running a good fast food store takes a lot of talent and hard work. Being a good shift/team manager is also no picnic. The good news is that it can be a top notch environment for training workers and leaders for jobs they'll have later.

 

[Teacher Terry]

The McDonald’s and Burger King near us has had to close the restaurant a lot and just leave the drive through open because of lack of workers. I saw it on the news. I don’t know what they pay but CF pays 12.20/hour. I noticed that the workers and managers always seem to be pleasant to one another. I think that they created a great environment. Plus I am sure that the scholarships help. When they open a new store they send in a crew of experienced workers for 2 weeks so things run smoothly.

 

[prudent_one]

We live not far from a big shopping district that has many fast food and fast casual joints. Add me to the list of people who wonder how CFA can have uniformly nice, friendly and pleasant workers while at a competitor you're surprised if someone acts that way. The workforce is surely all from the same area, yet CFA gets the cream of the crop - and they are the most recent one to open so had "last pick" in hiring.

I don't know how big the impact was on the competition but it has to be meaningful as the CFA parking lot and drive-thru are always busy.

Just to add on a little... I grabbed dinner at CFA tonight (a Thursday). There were 2 empty spaces in the lot out of around 25 spaces, 15 cars in the drive-thru line (two lines that funnel into one at the pick-up window), and when I got inside there were 12 people waiting to order. Three or four empty tables. I counted 9 workers (couldn't see all the way into the kitchen). On the way home I passed McDs a block away, looked to be about 6 cars in the lot and 3 in the drive-thru. Also, while I was waiting to order, two people came in to pick up DoorDash orders.

 

[HFWR]

I can’t think of many fast food establishments that are high above the rest. Some are definitely lower though...

Mostly don’t eat that crap, except, like others, for a quick stop while on the road. But I do notice dramatically different levels of competency, courteousness, and cleanliness, depending on location.

 

[audreyh1]

No fast food for us unless you count the occasional barbecue (which seems like real slow food).

 

[H2ODude]

CFA played a part in our kids employment history. Both worked in the one at the local mall, 26-28 years ago when in high school. Everyone knew Dave, the owner who worked there, and it was a place where a lot of their friends worked there too. Politics of the org was unknown at the time other than closed on Sunday. I can still well remember the stench of fried chicken when I'd pick them up from work! Ah, good times.

 

[RetireBy90]

I must agree with the I like a chicken sandwich. CFA is great, I tried Popeye's and it is great also, but with Popeye I just eat the chicken. My question is what is with that dang pickle slice ? hate that and semes everyone includes one. One more thing for me to throw away