After a summer’s wait, the Stone Creek Chick-Fil-A re-opened to the public on Aug. 17. The new remodel consists of a new double-lane drive-thru system, interior, bagging system and a larger dine-in seating.
Of these changes, the biggest was a newly designed look of the inside. Previously, the Chick-fil-A lobby had a beige colorway and two distinct seating areas. The new lobby consists of a gray more modern colorway and various new seating arrangements.
The newly constructed dining area was made possible by the removal of the play area. Before the renovations took place, the space acted as an abandoned and under-utilized section of the store. This removal opened up untapped sections of the store, which increased the number of customers they could serve.
The Stone Creek Chick-fil-A destination is a popular one among Green Hope students during lunch time. Students are still getting used to the changes to the new layout of the Chick-fil-A, including Senior Isabella Lunceford (‘25). Lunceford expressed her experience with the new renovation. “There has definitely been a major change to our school’s closest Chick-fil-A,” she said. “It’s more modern and definitely has a newer and more clean atmosphere than it did before.”
Chick-fil-A is not only a popular off campus lunch spot, but also functions as a job opportunity for many Green Hope students. When asked about the changes, Natalie Hancock (‘26), an employee at the location for over two years, mentions how the working environment became more efficient since the reopening. “The new set up has relieved a lot of stress on the employees working there, which allows us to stay more focused during busy times,” she said. “We have implemented new tasks and positions since the re-opening, which have made frequent rushes go by a lot quicker and easier.”
With the new reworkings, she highlights the store’s new bagging system as a favorite of hers, and how it helps to constantly move the flow of customer traffic they get. “We have changed almost everything in the store to an assembly line system, which makes everything even more efficient in both the kitchen area and the front line,” she added. “We have been able to get our guests in and out of the store so much faster than we did before.”
Even with all of the visual redesigns, there are lots of unnoticed new developments. For Hancock, a lot had changed with the new layout behind the scenes. “We did a complete remodel of the entire kitchen in the same assembly line setup. We have created an entire section of the store dedicated to catering, which has allowed us to take more large scale orders,” she said.
Prior to the new policies and looks of the Chick-fil-A, Hancock was promoted to a team leader, meaning she had to take on new responsibilities. Now fulfilling her new position with the remodel, Hancock expressed how she was exposed to a different side of how the store is ran than before. “Getting my new position has also helped me open my eyes to the management side and give me good leadership experience,” she said. “We also now have a secluded office space, which has been nice for meetings between other team leaders like myself and managers.”
Hancock shared her overall takeaway from her time at Chick-fil-A, even with the new renovations and policy changes put in place. “I love not only the flexibility it gives me but also the kind welcoming environment. I enjoy working with each of my coworkers and I have the best time working every shift,” she said. “It has been nothing but the best job for me and I couldn’t be happier.”
