Chick-fil-A Customer Service Model
Elevating the Gold Standard of Hospitality
Client
Chick-fil-A
What We Did
Strategy
Copywriting
Graphic Design
Collateral Design
With the persistence of the pandemic into 2021, Chick-fil-A could not physically bring together the 8,000 Owner-Operators, Staff, contractors and vendors they would traditionally gather for their annual meeting and retreat. We were asked to reimagine, design and produce this beloved and highly-anticipated annual event in the virtual landscape.
From the beginning we explored ways to preserve the qualities that have defined NEXT - energizing, empowering, authentic, inviting, dynamic - in a virtual format. Using our expertise in digital, virtual, and programmed content, we were able to quickly adapt a traditionally in-person event to be engaging and relevant for all audiences.
We cultivated a sense of “togetherness” through technology and creative storytelling:
Building the Blueprint for Remarkable Service
Chick-fil-A partnered with Brand Apart to design a hospitality model that could be named, taught, and scaled across the organization. What began as an effort to clearly articulate the essence of the brand evolved into a strategic framework that would become one of the most recognizable service models in the world.
Our role was to help capture what made the Chick-fil-A experience so distinct and transform it into a codified standard—complete with language, behaviors, and tools leaders could activate across every restaurant and team.
Our Role: Architecting a Model Built From the Inside Out
Brand Apart served as a strategic thought partner to Chick-fil-A’s business leaders, helping shape a hospitality approach grounded in belief, purpose, and culture. We knew the model had to start internally—with language and principles that would inspire Team Members and reinforce that serving guests is both meaningful and memorable.
From that insight came a phrase now forever connected to the brand: “My Pleasure.” More than a response, it became a symbol of the brand’s service philosophy—intentional language designed to spark pride, elevate interactions, and unite teams around a shared way of serving.
Working hand-in-hand with leaders across the company, Brand Apart helped:
- Define the core service principles that shaped the brand’s hospitality DNA
- Create the language system that made the model memorable and easy to teach
- Develop the restaurant-level strategies that brought the philosophy to life
- Craft communications and tools to ensure adoption across teams and departments
- Embed the model company-wide so it became part of hiring, training, and culture—not just restaurant operations
The outcome was a cohesive, intentional “recipe” for service that gave the brand a clear and repeatable way to deliver standout hospitality
Impact: A Model Emulated Across the Industry
The hospitality strategy we helped design remains the core of Chick-fil-A’s service experience to this day. It has become a benchmark—studied, admired, and emulated across the quick-service industry and beyond. From the iconic “My Pleasure” to the broader philosophy that shapes every guest interaction, the model stands as a testament to a partnership built on clarity, intentionality, and deep brand understanding.
