It is 8:00 AM and you wake up feeling as if you need something to make you happy? A good song? No. Maybe a shower? No, try again. Try a delicious breakfast biscuit with strawberry jelly and a side of hash browns. Better yet, dish the crispy potato favorite for a large iced vanilla coffee. It is now 8:30 AM, you throw on some sweats, maybe your cow-themed slippers and get into your car. There will be no traffic stopping you from this moment of pure satisfaction!
You get into the drive-thru and say so eagerly, “Yes, Good Morning! I would love a number one with a large iced vanilla coffee, please!” When they tell you to go to the next window, your heart races with excitement. The car ahead of you is stopping you from your delicious breakfast sandwich, but why! In the back of your mind you are wondering if they bought the entire restaurant because they are taking so long, but you remember that you will get yours soon enough. You roll up to the window with a cheesy smile on your face as the Hallelujah chorus plays when you see the employee handing you the white back with the red logo. All time stops as the bag reaches your hand. You quickly say, “Oh my gosh, thank you so much! You just made my morning!” What do they say? “My Pleasure, have a great rest of your day!” Yeah, it will be my pleasure eating this delicious breakfast sandwich in my pajamas, back home.
This moment happens a lot for many southerners, especially college students, and soon to be all over. Walking into Chick-fil-A is a gift and it is different from any restaurant experience. You appreciate being acknowledged when you walk in the door. You value the clean floors and bathrooms knowing that it instantly becomes a go-to place for dinner. You enjoy the friendly smile when you walk up to the counter to order your food, and the patience the cashier has for you while there is a huge line behind you. No, you are not just a customer there. You are THE customer.
What is it like to love Chick-fil-A? It is like being loved by someone without being tied down. It is being able to enjoy the simple things in life like a large freshly squeezed lemonade and waffle fries while enjoying time with your best friends. It is like being in a long-term relationship with the man of your dreams, but instead of being in a relationship with a person you are in a relationship with food. It is being able to enjoy the fast-food experience alongside the feeling of a restaurant. Being a fan of this chain, you enjoy the fact that religious music is played in the background and that faith is above everything else. You enjoy that it literally feels you are in heaven with the music, the food and the strong company as you just enjoy being alive.
This may sound like your typical white-girl article, but it is so much more. I know for a fact that if you are reading this you are thinking of the Chicken Minis and waffle fries with a small Sprite on the side. Better yet, that delicious breakfast you will have tomorrow morning. As a customer of Chick-fil-A I would like to say, “It is my pleasure being your biggest fan and I will see you next Tuesday.”
