Chick-fil-A Testing In-House Delivery

Should DoorDash be concerned by Chick-fil-A delivery test?

You can already get Chick-fil-A delivered by third-party apps like DoorDash, but the Atlanta-based restaurant chain is testing a new program that will bring its employees’ signature “my pleasure” to your door.

Chick-fil-A is testing a new in-house restaurant-run delivery program, the company said in a statement. The service launched Tuesday morning at the Norcross store in Georgia, about 20 miles from Atlanta, where the chain is headquartered.

The store is equipped with a branded car and can deliver anything from a normal lunch order to catering trays. Delivery orders can be made through the Chick-fil-A app, and an employee from the local restaurant will deliver your food to your door.

“We are excited to offer our same in-restaurant experience to guests at their home or place of work,” the emailed statement said.

Chick-fil-A is testing the service at stores across the country, but is still keeping its partnership with DoorDash.

So should DoorDash be concerned? The answer is, probably. While Chick-fil-A's experiment with in-house delivery doesn't mean the company is dropping its partnership with DoorDash, it does illustrate how hard the big chains are working to meet the massive demand for off-premise dining in a profitable fashion.

Some chains have gone with exclusive deals with one partner, while others offer delivery on all four major third-party delivery platforms, Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates. Still others, like Domino's Pizza are expanding their own in-house delivery service.

CHEF = STRESS

A recent survey of chefs in the United Kingdom found that 81% have experienced poor mental health during their careers.

A recent study commissioned by Nestle considered the mental health of chefs in the UK. The disturbing findings revealed that 81% have experienced poor mental health during their careers and nearly half consider not enough is being done to address this issue of mental wellbeing in the workplace.

Among the factors contributing to their stress were staff shortages, time pressure, limited budgets and the lack of daylight in their kitchens. These pressures not only affected the individuals suffering, but also their restaurants as almost three quarters reported missing work days due to stress.

One solution to the problem seems to be to allow the chefs more time to be creative. Almost nine in ten chefs stated that more freedom in the kitchen to experiment and be creative would significantly improve stress levels. Unfortunately, as anyone who has worked in a commercial kitchen knows, the environment is usually all about time pressure and budget pressure.

click here to download a copy of the report

Burger King Unhappy Meals

Burger King has partnered with Mental Health America on this limited time campaign.

To help bring awareness during Mental Health Awareness Month, while taking a swipe at McDonalds Happy Meals, Burger King has launched its limited time Real Meals campaign.

According to a press release from the company "Burger King understands that no one is happy all the time. That’s why they’re asking guests to order a Whopper meal based on however they might be feeling. The new boxes, dubbed Real Meals, come in a variety of different moods – and “happy” isn’t one of them. The Real Meal moods include the Pissed Meal, Blue Meal, Salty Meal, YAAAS Meal and DGAF Meal.

With the Real Meals campaign, the BURGER KING® brand believes in authenticity and welcomes all guests. A natural extension of encouraging people to “be their way” is encouraging them to “feel their way.” With the pervasive nature of social media, there is so much pressure to appear happy and perfect. With Real Meals, the BURGER KING® brand celebrates being yourself and feeling however you want to feel."

Mental Health America is the nation’s leading community-based non-profit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans.

A film to support the initiative launches today on YouTube.com/BurgerKing. Shot in 35mm, it takes an intimate and raw look into the reality of feeling your way that’s both empathetic and celebratory.