Why A Stormy Day At Chick-Fil-A Caused A Downpour Of Laughter

Last week, a series of severe thunderstorms across the midlands region of South Carolina left many parts of the state subject to extreme conditions, including heavy rain, hail, and flooding. For many people, this kind of weather would warrant enough reason to hunker down at home until it passed. But comments on a TikTok shared by user @random._.person222 suggest that employees at a Chick-fil-A may have been within striking distance of nature's fury. While we can't confirm a location, when asked by a commenter whether this took place "near [Columbia, South Carolina]," the TikToker responded, "Omg kinda close but it seems the whole USA had a huge storm yesterday!!"

The user posted a 10-second video from inside a Chick-fil-A restaurant during a severe downpour. "It's a great day here at Chick-fil-A," jokes the overlay text on the clip, which looks like a scene straight out of a movie, with employees struggling to hold a window shut as rainwater rapidly leaks into the restaurant. As if that isn't already a lot to take in, a car can be seen at the drive-thru window possibly waiting for an order (although the driver may have just been waiting for the rain to pass). The final shot shows the aftermath, with the drive-thru exterior covered in broken glass and other debris. 

"I can not believe this happened," the user wrote in the caption. "I couldn't stop laughing though because the [restaurant] doors were flying open and closed #hurricane #chickfila #damage #waterfall." 

Despite the potentially dangerous situation on display, many viewers found the video hilarious. "I told you not to take the restaurant through the car wash!" joked one commenter about the storm visuals seen through the window. "Florida moment," remarked another, noting how severe hurricanes are a normal occurrence in the south. 

Others shared that they were entertained by watching the employees try to keep the water-logged counter clean, despite the fact that the effort was clearly futile against the rushing rain. "NOT HER TRYING TO CLEAN IT WITH RECEIPT PAPER" exclaimed one user, while another summarized the moment as, "the employee of the month saving the day with a napkin." (In truth, that "napkin" was actually cup stickers, said the poster.) "They probably still had y'all outside taking orders too" quipped another commenter alongside a crying laughing emoji, likely referring to Chick-fil-A's reputation for keeping its outside employees working the drive-thru even during inclement weather.

Of course, this wasn't the first time a storm caused a stir at a Chick-Fil-A restaurant. According to KFOR, in 2019, two customers at an Oklahoma location abruptly climbed through the drive-thru window to escape a tornado. That same year, customers in Paducah, Kentucky, crammed themselves into a Chick-fil-A kitchen amid a tornado (via KVFS). But they still managed to enjoy themselves. Chick-fil-A marketing director Codie Forman recalled, "Everybody has, like, a party back there. Nice and cozy."