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Julia Hall, senior manager of community affairs for Chick-fil-A and director of external affairs for The Chick-fil-A Foundation, stopped by Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio’s Around Atlanta edition this week. Julia spoke with us about the company, its values, and how we can all get in on the behind-the-scenes action with the Chick-fil-A Backstage Tour!
Hall has been with Chick-fil-A all of her career, spanning more than 15 years. Describing her career, hall says, “I’ve worked in operations as a business consultant, which means that I used to work with the operators that operate the Chick-fil-A restaurants, and when this vision for the Chick-fil-A backstage tour came about, I was asked to lead that vision. I left operations and had a brief stint in marketing, and then the Home Office Backstage Tour became a function of Community Affairs, so I’ve kind of been around the organization and I absolutely love what I do.”
Chick-fil-A is a company that not only produces impressive product, service and advertising, they also give back to the community. The Chick-fil-A Foundation is the corporate philanthropic arm of the company, and its mission is focused on the youth and education across the nation. Two organizations partner with The Chick-fil-A Foundation to achieve this goal. The first is Junior Achievement, a national organization with local extensions that focus on entrepreneurship and financial literacy, two topics that were a passion of late Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy. Fellowship of Christian Athletes is the second partner, helping The Chick-fil-A Foundation reach the youth by providing free summer sports camps for hundreds of students in urban environments throughout the nation.
Hall notes that innovation is another huge part of Chick-fil-A’s success. An openly creative culture that fosters new ideas and customer feedback help the company continue to revolutionize their brand and create a “premium” fast food brand. Now, fans of the restaurant chain can see a little of the magic that makes up the brand with the Chick-fil-A Backstage Tours.
There are two tour options currently available. The first option is The Original Tour, which gives visitors a free 60-minute storytelling experience focusing on the history of the company and its values. During the tour, visitors will enjoy fun surprises, like Truett Cathy’s car museum which includes a Batmobile. There is also a trip to Truett’s office, where tour participants can sit in his chair and be CEO for a moment. Finally, a life-size billboard featuring those infamous cows is featured, and it gives visitors the chance to take their very own photo.
The second tour is The Deluxe, which costs $15. During this tour, visitors receive everything they would on The Original tour, as well as a peek at the innovation facilities. These facilities include the Theme Kitchen, where research and development for the menu is conducted, and The Hatch, which is where new business ideas are developed.
Since the tours started, tour groups of all types have come, from school groups looking to see a cow or two, to business groups that often come for a glimpse into the facility while also gaining some business insight on how to build a successful brand.
For more information on the Chick-fil-A Backstage Tour, visit www.tours.Chick-fil-A.com. To find out more about The Chick-fil-A foundation, visit www.Chick-fil-Afoundation.org.
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