Did you know that Chick-fil-A employees are given very specific instructions for the
way the pickles should be placed on the bun of their Original Chicken Sandwich?
Want to know what these "pickle rules" are? Keep watching to find out.
You don't need to be a frequent flyer at the drive-thru to know that fast-food
chicken sandwiches have been having a moment. The poultry product has been in
the spotlight ever since Popeyes debuted its take on the chicken sandwich in 2019.
"I've got Popeyes!"
And now, it's practically impossible to find a fast-food menu that doesn't feature
the crispy sammie — though it's still the Original Chicken Sandwich from Chick-fil-A
that many fans consider the crown jewel of the bunch.
"Thank you."
"My pleasure. Y'all have a great day."
The brainchild of Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy, consisting of breaded chicken and pickles
in between two buttery toasted buns, was found to have an average customer satisfaction score
of 4.39 out of 5 in 2021. As a result, it earned the prestigious title of the best
fast-food chicken sandwich of that year, according to Eat This, Not That! Yet the
acclaimed sandwich was still the recipient of a complaint from a customer on Reddit,
who took to the platform to air a very specific grievance about the eatery's star item:
"Why does every sandwich I get from every location, made by every employee
consistently have two pickles mating either on the outer edge or in the dead center of my sandwich,
surrounded by pickle-less spicy wasteland?"
The Redditor also requested that Chick-fil-A employees put some space between the pickles.
However, several respondents claimed that the Reddit poster could also
take action to fix this problem themselves, rather than complaining.
Pickles are a key component of both Chick-fil-A's Original and Spicy Chicken Sandwiches.
So we can't say we don't understand the Reddit user's disappointment with
how the pickles have been placed on their sandwiches in the past.
Getting a piece of tangy pickle in each bite of a Chick-fil-A sandwich is certainly the ideal
situation. However, unlike the original Reddit user, most of the eatery's fans on the online
message board don't seem concerned if that isn't the reality of their sandwich-eating experience.
A majority of commenters didn't agree with the original Redditor's complaint about what they
perceived as unacceptable topping placement. More specifically, other Reddit users took
issue with the user putting the blame on the chain's employees. One reddit user wrote:
"I've never worked at a CFA, but I have a feeling that if you had to crank out as many
sandwiches per hour as they do, you might get a little sloppy with your pickle placement."
This theory was later confirmed by another Redditor who claimed to be employed by the chain.
This reddit user explained:
"We make roughly 10-15 sandwiches a minute,
so we really don't have the time to carefully place the pickles."
As it turns out, Chick-fil-A is very particular about the placement of its pickles,
which come in a standard serving of two to three per sandwich,
depending on size. In fact, in response to the original Reddit user's post,
one self-identified Chick-fil-A employee said their store had a meeting regarding standards
in 2021. Staff members were advised that pickles on the Original Chicken Sandwich should be, quote,
"dating not mating." For those who aren't employed by the chicken giant,
Business Insider offered a more plainly-worded description of the pickle placing rules, writing,
"The pickles have to be touching but not quite overlapping,
and placed so they cover the maximum surface area."
But even with such diligent instructions, there are plenty of reasons why the pickles
on your Chick-fil-A sandwich won't be picture-perfect — which is something a
majority of respondents to the Reddit thread seem to understand. Another Reddit user,
meanwhile, offered an easy fix for the supposed pickle problem:
"I always ask for extra pickles, and then rearrange them on the bun."
As noted in another Reddit thread, the free customization typically yields an additional
two pickle slices — though you can always request more to get your optimal pickle-to-chicken ratio.
You can even ask to get your extra pickles on the side to avoid the dreaded soggy sammie,
which, to many, might be an even worse fate than
having to rearrange the pickles before digging into your meal.
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