iStockphoto / Stephen Barnes / Chick-fil-a
Welcome to Scotland sign next to first Chick-fil-a drive-thru in Scotland
Chick-fil-a, the Georgia-based fast-food juggernaut that lays claim to the best chicken sandwich (and sauces) in the industry, is making a push into the UK and that just began with the opening of Scotland‘s first drive-thru Chick-fil-a. Located in Glasgow, the locals have been champing at the bit for a taste of the American South and to enure the launch went smoothly Chick-fil-a did something special.
For the first month, Chick-fil-a has sent over American fast-food workers to train the Glasgow locals on how to efficiently and politely run the Chick-fil-a drive-thru. Because anyone that has ever been through the Chick-fil-a drive-thru knows that it is arguably the most efficiently ran system across the entire fast food industry.
First Chick-fil-a Drive-Thru In Scotland Opens With American Workers
The drive-thru in Glasgow opened up earlier this month, according to a press release from Chick-fil-a. Europeans and British Islanders are simply not accustomed to a fast food chain drive-thru in the way we are here in America.
Chalk it up to a lack of space due to millennia of people living in the same locations, or whatever other contributing factors might be at play, but Chick-fil-a tooted its own horn in the release stating “Chick-fil-A’s drive-thru experience provides much more than a convenient way to order, it combines speed, accuracy and consistency with the personal service the brand is known for.”
Instead of ordering through a speaker box as is the custom in Scotland, there are Chick-fil-a workers in the drive-thru line just as they are here in the States. The fast food chain announced “for Scottish Guests, it will be the first opportunity to experience the drive-thru model Chick-fil-a has refined in the U.S., thoughtfully designed to create a welcoming and efficient experience.”
Over the next 10 years, Chick-fil-a is committed to investing $100 million in the UK. And if the hype surrounding the opening of this Glasgow location is any indication of future success, it will be a wise investment.
One video from @Laur4davidson on TikTok has picked up 1.1 million views in the past 14 hours. It is a perfect look into just how excited people in Glasgow are to try the Southern fried chicken fast food chain.
Many of the comments are from folks blown away that Chick-fil-a shipped American workers over to train the Glaswegians in our ways. One user (@Colin Morgan) wrote “They shipped Americans AND Ranch Sauce. They are about to go NUTS.” This of course highlights the phenomenon of people from across the pond, Scots in particular, coming to America and trying Ranch dressing for the first time and suddenly making it their entire personality. Case in point, this British influencer who amassed an enormous following through her love of Ranch in America.
Another comment that I really don’t think will impact the Scots in the same way it does Americans is “Beware! You will crave it on a Sunday and then realize it is closed.” The funny thing about that is the vast majority of the world outside of the United States’ borders decides to just shut things down on Sundays and finding a restaurant open on Sunday in the UK / Europe can be a daunting task.
By the way, if that TikTok video above did not load you can find the same clip here on Instagram:
All things considered, the Chick-fil-a menu in Scotland looks very similar to ours in the States. They have the original chicken sandwich, Spicy chicken sandwich, nuggets, grilled nuggets, etc. You can peruse the menu here if you are interested in learning more.