The US is an incredible place, and despite some problems, the citizens enjoy some fantastic benefits from the country.
One of these benefits is EBT, a program that helps feed many underprivileged people in the US.
You can go to many restaurants and pay for your meal using EBT, but some restaurants don’t accept it.
Let us look into Chick-fil-A, and whether or not they tale this service, so you know where to eat with your food stamp;
Does Chick-fil-A Take EBT?
You might be disappointed to know this, but Chick-fil-A does not accept EBT. Many other fast-food restaurants accept EBT like KFC, Corral, Papa John’s Pizza, and others, so you might want to try it there.
What Is EBT and What Can You Get With It?
EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer, and you will get an EBT card after a social worker approves you for a food stamp. This is primarily a program to help those that can’t afford to raise money for food and basic needs.
The FSD will load your amount onto your EBT card, so you use the card to buy essentials. You can use the card to buy food in restaurants, groceries, and other food-related items with food stamp benefits.
You can use the card to pay for your children’s utilities and clothing if you get temporary assistance.
If you have a card, the FSD will send your benefits onto the account within 24 hours of the approval of your benefits.
If you don’t have the card, you will get a new card in your mail within 7 days of your approval. You will then get an identification number a few days later.
If you already had a card but haven’t used it for over a year or you lost it, you need to contact the FSD to get a way forward.
If you don’t get the benefits on time, you should also call the FSD to follow up and get the money as soon as possible.
Keeping your PIN a secret is crucial since someone else could use your EBT card to spend your benefits and leave you stranded.
If you enter the wrong PIN 4 times, your card will automatically lock, and you won’t be able to use it until midnight.
This safety feature helps keep your funds secure since the FSD will not replace the money if someone else spends it.
You can go online to EBTedge.com to change your password or call 1-800-977-7777 to talk to customer service.
You can also contact customer service to see how much money you have on your card so you can plan. If you lose your card, report it immediately so the FSD can block it and keep your money safe.
You will use the card as a credit card to withdraw cash and pay bills at stores. Swipe or insert the card into a machine and enter the pin in the keypad. You can use the card on ATMs or Terminals with Shazam, Quest, and Star logos.
EBT cards are an option for people looking for basic needs; thus, you can’t buy some things with your EBT card.
If you or someone else uses the EBT card to buy any of these items, you will have to repay the money to the FSB.
You can’t use them at liquor stores to purchase alcohol, casinos to gamble or play games, buying lottery tickets, adult entertainment such as strip clubs, and places that sell drugs or aren’t society friendly.
Chick-fil-A’s Founders’ Role In Its Success
As the results of his work show, Chick-fil-A’s founder, Truett Cathy, was a good businessman. His religion famously influenced him, and he did a lot of charity and instilled these values in his business.
He taught Sunday school for more than fifty years, and he actively established scholarships and found homes for homeless children. Truett never allowed public investors into the company since he knew they would not approve of all the company’s charity.
He made a contract with his children before his death, allowing them to sell the company if they wanted to, but they couldn’t make it public, neither of which they did.
Truett was always business-oriented from a young age, and eventually, he stopped and joined the army.
They returned and started a restaurant they opened 24 hours each day, except Sunday. Truett and his brother worked for 12 hours each, and their hands-on approach made the business work very efficiently.
Ben Cathy died in a tragic airplane crash three years after they started the restaurant, and his wife inherited his share of the company.
A year later, Truett bought it from her and became the sole business owner of the restaurant, where he built a second location.
Unfortunately, this location burnt down, but it would be a good thing since it helped create Chick-fil-A.
This company came up with the founder’s principles, and it grew popular in the US as he expanded to more locations.
Why Chick-fil-A Is So Successful
Chick-fil-A is easily one of the most successful restaurants on the planet, their first store opened in 1967, and their sales have been higher than the previous year since then. This is more than 50 consecutive years of sales growth.
In 2019, their US sales reached a whopping 11 billion dollars, and this is not the most impressive part.
They got to 11 billion dollars in sales while having only 2500 locations which is less than a fifth of what others have, meaning each location made about 4.4 million dollars.
Chick-fil-A does a lot of things differently, so let us look into some factors that separate them from the rest of the industry;
1. Tasty Chicken sandwich
When thinking of Chick-fil-A, the first thing that comes to mind is their fantastic chicken sandwich. Truett himself created the chicken sandwich recipe, and the dish was popular all across the country.
After the restraint fire, Truett went back to his original restaurant, and he came up with the chicken sandwich as his way of saving the business.
He wanted to name it chicken fillet but couldn’t put a patent in it, so he messed with the letters and came up with Chick-fil-A.
The catchy name, fantastic menu, and crazy idea made it the famous restaurant we all know and love today. In 1967, Truett decided to open his restaurant centered on the chicken sandwich.
2. Slow expansion with little to no debt
Chick-fil-A is one of the few companies today that don’t carry any debt, but they have always kept it low. In the 70s, Truett decided that new restaurants would open using profit from the existing ones, running restaurants in malls.
They operated for almost 20 years before getting a free-standing location. The ones in malls are smaller and cheaper, so they need less money to open, and it offers a lot of customers. By the time competition in the malls grew, they were ready to build free-standing locations.
They did all these to avoid taking huge debts from banks since this eventually would cut down on their profits.
Several restaurants had too many loans to expand rapidly, and they ended up collapsing after a few years.
3. Friendly employees and customer service
There isn’t any other restaurant with staff as friendly as Chick-fil-A staff. It is almost as if you have to be a pleasant person for you to get a job at Chick-fil-A. They have to say “my pleasure” instead of “you’re welcome.”
This phrase and the general positive energy were essential to Truett Cathy, and he made it a part of the company’s identity.
Customers love to be in this environment, so they keep coming back, leading to high sales and packed restaurants.
The employees seem happy because they like working at Chick-fil-A. They get many unique benefits like scholarship opportunities, and they keep their jobs much longer than others in the industry.
They have close and qualified management that ensures the employees meet customer needs and remain friendly.
4. Franchisee Selection
Chick-fil-A is outrageously picky when choosing who can get into the franchise. This ensures that the quality of the franchisees stays high and the company’s reputation remains spotless. They don’t have a high joining fee, but they review the applications thoroughly.
Out of 60,000 applications each year, they only accept about 100, less than 0.17%. This ensures that they get the best people to join their franchise to maintain its quality. They also keep a close eye on the operations of their Franchisees to ensure they keep up the company’s reputation.
Conclusion
EBT is a fantastic program that has helped many people in the US. People with financial problems can use the cards to go to restaurants and eat, but you can’t use the card at a Chick-fil-A restaurant.
Chick-fil-A is arguably the most successful restaurant franchise in the US since it has never registered a loss since its opening 50 years ago. Should Chick-fil-A maintain its top-tier management status, it will continue to grow and relish Americans with its delightful menu.
