Fashion Square Chick-fil-A opens temporary drive-through in parking lot

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - At a time when many restaurant owners are having to adapt to survive, one is stepping out of his comfort zone to keep his workers employed and the community fed.

Will Taylor, owner and operator of the Chick-fil-A in the Fashion Square mall says that when businesses around his began to close due to the coronavirus pandemic, he was determined to stay open. Taylor says he reached out to the mall to quickly come up with a solution: turning a lane of the parking lot into a temporary drive through.

“We started asking the community to help us get cones and signage," Taylor said. "Within four days, we were able to open up a drive thru service.”

The drive through functions just like any other, with one key difference: where there would be sliding windows to order, pay and receive your food, instead there are tents where employees sit, iPad in-hand.

“We have an order point, where a person in the very front has an iPad they can take your order," Taylor explained. "Then we have a secondary point where you could actually pay for the food.”

Employees say that adapting to the new technology in a matter of days has been difficult. Still, they admit the results speak for themselves.

“Our goal is to be quick and efficient," Store Director of Marketing Erica Taylor said. "The guests so far have indicated that’s the case, and so we’re really pleased with that.”

Customers are appreciative. They say the drive thru represents more than just the promise of a chicken sandwich and waffle fries. Instead, it’s a nugget of normal life.

“Just trying to put the negative aside, and that’s what this Chick-fil-A does for me," customer Sherri Moore said. “It makes me happy.”

The Chick-fil-A will soon be expanding its drive thru hours: Starting Monday, March 30, the store will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will still be closed on Sundays.

Copyright 2020 WVIR. All rights reserved.