By Jeanni Ritchie

The Chick-Fil-A on the corner of Jackson and MacArthur is closing for 12 weeks for what is being branded a reinvestment into the community.

 

I love the term. Not just a remodel, but a reinvestment.

 

The term is appropriate. Founded in 1967, Chick-fil-A’s stated corporate purpose on its website is “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

 

The owner of the local franchise is committed to the company purpose and one of its core values, Better at Together. “Chick-fil-A, Inc.’s commitment to being Better at Together means embedding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in everything we do.”

 

Not only did she have a vision to rebuild a restaurant with expanded seating and three drive-through lanes to meet the needs of customers, she sat down with her employees months in advance to help them navigate this change. In a day where corporate greed often makes workers feel more like cogs in a wheel than valuable employees, her commitment to her workers is commendable. They all have a plan in place during the transition.

 

It is completely on brand with Chick-fil-A, the company that remained closed on Sundays to allow employees a day of rest long after Blue Laws ended.

 

Closing May 2nd and reopening the beginning of August, the redesign will expand into the adjacent former Piccadilly property.

 

Learning to embrace change, I was apprehensive about just one thing and had to ask.

 

“Will it still have a play area?” I will forever be in my playground era.

 

“Absolutely,” they laughed.

 

Check out the new restaurant in August. In the meantime, you can get your Chick-fil-A fix at the Alexandria Mall location, 3437 Masonic Drive.