When one little red door closes, another opens

DEAR EDITOR:

Observations on my last visit to Shorter Avenue Chick-fil-A before it temporary closes for remodeling. Upon arriving, I believed that a non-profitable or closing business would stop maintaining the yards and grounds months before closing. Instead, I noticed a very well kept Japanese maple at the entrance door. All the trees, plants and flowers were well maintained. There were two lanes of cars all the way back from the order window to the entrance to Chick-fil-A, which is typical on any given day. I tried to time the wait between orders but gave up when average wait time was 5-10 seconds at the pickup window.

It started to sprinkle. An elderly lady was walking toward the entrance door about 30 feet away. A Chickfil-A associate saw the lady and waited to open the door with a greeting and a smile. It’s one thing to like your job. It’s on a higher level when you love your job. I could tell that Mr. Brad Edwards loved his job by the way he filled in to help the process flow smoothly. Mr. Edwards didn’t want any recognition. Instead he passed it on to the associates of Chickfil-A, and Mr. Greg Major, who trained him to be his best. I know it must have been a hard decision to temporary close a profitable business even for a short time, but like Brad said, “You have to think about the future.”

I saw kids as young as 3 and young-at-heart people going in and out of the little red door. I saw pastors, members of a book club, garden club members, a group of senior men, associates of local hospitals, a well-mixed reflection of Rome stopping at Chickfil-A to have lunch.

In conclusion, you’ll be missed on Shorter Avenue, Chick-fil-A, but you’ll be back bigger and better soon!

Daryl Scott Rome