The Chick-Fil-A That Tried To Pay Employees In Food

Chick-fil-A has hardly been considered a paragon of good behavior by all. Who could forget its controversial statements and alleged discriminatory practices of the 2010s (via Vox)? The brand is so often under fire for its choices that even students at fairly conservative Notre Dame University launched a campaign against a proposed campus branch of the chain in 2021, says a Fox News report. It was largely the brand's perceived non-inclusive policies and frequent donations to Christian groups that upset students at the traditionally Catholic university.

Now the restaurant chain is at the center of controversy once again. Well, actually, not the brand itself. While most of the company's questionable choices go right to the top, the chicken impresarios are actually franchises, according to Chick-fil-A, so locations are privately owned, at least in part. This latest "oops" comes not from Chick-fil-A HQ, where we've gotten so used to expecting mishaps, but from one Henderson, North Carolina locale that's been a little over-run lately (via Vice).

The Henderson, North Carolina Chick-fil-A has been busy lately. Vice writes that they've recently converted part of their parking lot into a Drive-Thru Express to ease the pressure their line creates on surrounding roadways. Busy and understaffed, the branch has also posted job openings or other calls to employment on their Facebook page more than five times since the beginning of May, as well as holding an employment open call.

Recently the branch tried a new approach to ease pressure on its employees: volunteers. The Henderson, N.C. sandwich shop posted on its Facebook page: "We are looking for volunteers for our new Drive-Thru Express! ... Earn 5 free entrees per shift (1 hr) worked." The same location previously offered a similar volunteer opportunity for community members to direct traffic during the setup of the location's new, more efficient Drive-Thru Express in exchange for free food and drink.

While the posts have been deleted, the store's manager Ryan, who declined to provide his last name, told Vice that the move was not an attempt to get free labor so much as a way to involve the community and "let our team focus on serving the guests."

However, it's actually a pretty good deal for those lucky volunteers. With entrees running between roughly $5 and $9 (via Chick-fil-A), the five entrees per hour deal would work out to a minimum of $25 an hour. Not bad work if you can get it — and you like Chick-fil-A.