Chick-fil-A has two support centers—Atlanta and Irvine, California. They’ve been designed as flexible campuses. There are open areas, private nooks, conference rooms, etc. The Atlanta spot is one of 578 certified arboreta worldwide, which includes walking trails, a rooftop garden, and WiFi-enabled outdoor spaces.
There’s now a “Flexible Futures” function that covers Chick-fil-A’s hybrid in-person and remote work policy. “Our job is to create environments and experiences that people find enriching,” said Christina Coleman, senior director of campus planning and operations. “One of the ways we do this is by investing in workspaces where people want to be and where they feel valued.”
“Being a restaurant company, we also believe that people spending time together over food is important,” Coleman continues. “We provide complimentary meals to all staff at our support center locations in a wide variety of spaces to encourage this connection. Having an open design that fosters relationships brings our Chick-fil-A values to life.”
These support centers engage in sustainability efforts as well, including compositing, recycling, and EV charging stations. Signage uses environmentally friendly materials like cardboard, wood, and post-consumer recycled composites.
In a similar vein, Chick-fil-A said it’s the first U.S. quick-serve to pilot a solar-powered microgrid system for its store locations. While microgrid systems are typically used in larger facilities, the company said, Chick-fil-A is testing a system specifically designed for a 5,000-square-foot building. At one in California, solar panels collect sunlight that is converted into renewable energy to power the restaurant and an on-site battery provides continuous power during local outages. It also save money in places where energy costs spike in the summer. “That’s money I’d rather reinvest in our team and our community,” said April Farage, operator of a Chick-fil-A in Stockton, California. Since activating the microgrid, her restaurant reduced its reliance on the power grid by 60 percent and cut carbon emissions by 68 metric tons, or more than 618,000 gasoline-powered vehicle miles.
Chick-fil-A added it plans to pilot the solar-powered microgrids at two additional restaurants in 2023. The brand expanded a program to convert used cooking oil into renewable diesel to more than 1,000 Chick-fil-A locations, as well.
Some other highlights from Tuesday’s report:
- Donated $3.5 million to Feeding America to help provide more than 17 million meals to communities facing hunger in recognition of restaurant openings in the U.S.
- Donated $100,000 to Second Harvest Canada in support of the fight against hunger throughout Canada
- Launched the Chick-fil-A Community Scholars initiative to provide education opportunities to leaders
- Engaged 31,500 Chick-fil-A Leader Academy students in a nationwide service effort to give one million books to local elementary schools, nonprofits, and children’s hospitals
- Helped create a new, innovative shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness through a $750,000 donation to the Atlanta Mission Restoration House
- Empowered more than 199,100 students by teaching them the life skills they need to succeed through a partnership with Junior Achievement
- Provided training, support, and resources to help more than 400 nonprofit leaders maximize their impact through Chick-fil-A Impact Accelerator
- Awarded $5 million in True Inspiration Awards grants to nonprofits
- More than 1,176 Chick-fil-A One Members donated money through the Chick-fil-A App, which resulted in a collective donation of $69,024 to support disaster relief efforts, including proactive efforts following Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian
- Donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to help support critical humanitarian aid needs in Ukraine and within neighboring countries
- Achieved a milestone of helping create more than 18 million meals by donating surplus food to local organizations through the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program
- Donated 41,800 additional Chick-fil-A meals from operators and Chick-fil-A, Inc.
- Diverted more than 13.9 million pounds of restaurant food waste from landfills through food donation, composting, the use of anerobic digesters and more