Chick-fil-A Poaching Workers From Small BK Businesses, Owner Says

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Brooklyn's first Chick-fil-A outpost is trying to fill up its staff by taking employees from other local small businesses, a the owner of a nearby juice bar told Patch.

Evan Franca, owner of Brooklyn Crepe and Juice on Flatbush Avenue, said an employee from the chicken chain came into his store over the weekend and tried to poach the staff working there for the new Chick-fil-A down the street. The fast food joint is set to open at 166 Flatbush Ave. in a couple of weeks.

"Poaching happens in our industry and every industry...but to have a major chain come in and pitch my entire staff to leave and work for them is blatantly abhorrent," he said. "They're not even open yet and this is their type of behavior."

The employee, a kitchen manager at the new Chick-fil-A, came into the juice bar on Saturday and "got friendly" with one of the workers as he ordered food, the Brooklyn Crepe manager who was there at the time said.

He spoke Spanish with the employee and asked him where he is from and how long the shop has been in business before revealing he was from Chick-fil-A. Then, he took out cards and told them to pass it out to other employees.

"He said the hiring office is close by just down the block," the manager, Julian Monar said. "(The employee) looks at me confused, but doesn’t say anything, just thank you and goodbye. I was a little surprised by it, I thought it was disrespectful."

Monar pulled Franca aside to let him know what happened when Franca stopped by the shop later that day.

At first, Franca said, he was upset, but wanted to give Chick-fil-A the benefit of the doubt.

He had been excited about the fast food chain opening up shop a few blocks away, thinking that it would bring more foot traffic to his business, Franca added.

But when he tried sending a note to Chick-fil-A's general email address about the incident, all he got back was an automated reply apologizing for the "customer service experience" at one of their stores.

"As a business owner I wanted to address it with the business — they can’t be responsible for everything every single employee does," Franca said. "But they didn't even read my complaint. So, one, they did this, and two, they don't care."

None of his dozen or so employees have taken Chick-fil-A up on the offer yet, Franca said, and he doesn't expect them to. But, the encounter still made him think differently about the new business.

"I treat my staff well and pay them well, but the fact that they’re even attempting to do that hit me the wrong way," he said. "It’s just not the way you come into a community."

Chick-fil-A did not respond to a request for comment.