Here in East Texas our Chick-fil-A drive throughs are always full, and the dinning rooms are too -- that was until COVID and now staff shortages.

So many businesses are experiencing staffing problems since the first wave of COVID swept through, and Chick-fil-A has been affected just as much. Today (August 8), the Gilmer Road location in Longview announced they are being forced to shut down their dining room due to "staffing challenges."

Due to staffing challenges, Chick-fil-A Gilmer Road & Chick-fil-A Fourth Street will be temporarily closing our dining rooms beginning August 9th. Thank you for understanding and we hope to serve you in our Drive-Thru, Curbside or Chick-fil-A Delivery soon.

We'll be sure to pass along the news once the dining room re-opens.

And hey in that's-not-surprising-news; according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, East Texans aren't the only ones who love our chicken from Chick-fil-A. For the seventh consecutive year Chick-Fil-A ranks number one across the US in total customer satisfaction, beating out restaurants including Dominoes, KFC, and Starbucks. The index interviewed nearly 20,000 people, and when it was all said and done that said Chick-Fil-A was their favorite, finishing with a score of 80.

“People are slowly starting to enjoy sitting down at restaurants again, but don’t discount the value of convenience,” ACSI Managing Director David VanAmburg said in a press release.

Chick-fil-A received 83 out of 100 points, outscoring all limited- and full-service restaurants included in the study. This year, McDonald’s fell to the bottom of the list, scoring just 70 points.

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This doesn't mean the business is bad. In fact, usually it's the contrary. I'll park four blocks away from Stanley's and brave being run over by an ambulance on Beckham Avenue for a Mother Clucker, all while wondering to myself "how in the hell did this wild-ass intersection even come into existence?" every week.

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Cowboy Jack won my kids over with his “Carwash Fun at Buc-ees" episode. He won me over in his video titled “Parents: Meet Cowboy Jack,” in which he promises that, unlike his counterpart, he doesn’t do silly voices, which piqued my interest as those annoying voices are the absolute worst.

With kind eyes and genuine smile he introduces himself, like a true Texan, as John, the father of a little boy and a baby girl. This really seems like a person you can trust with your child’s attention.

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