40 Chick-fil-A Interview Questions: How to Get The Job

I’ve reviewed hundreds of Chick-fil-A interview questions from dozens of people who’ve applied to work at Chick-fil-A.

In this piece, we’ll cover:

• 🔬 What interviewers are looking for
• 🤔 40+ Real interview questions Chick-fil-A
• 📄 Sample responses to the most important questions
• 🏋️ How to prepare for your interview
• 🧰 Other interview resources

After this, you better be ready to…

… because you’ll be getting the job.

What Chick-fil-A Interviewers Are Looking For

Before applying, think about the perspective of the manager who’s interviewing you – what do they want?

They’re looking for someone who will work hard, provide great service to customers, be fun to be around, and not quit just after they’re trained.

So, make sure your answers communicate that you are:

• Motivated to work hard. Share why the job is important to you – what are your goals? Why will you come to work, and do a great job, even when you don’t feel like it?
• Honest. Tell a story that shows you doing being honest and doing the right thing even if it was difficult.
• Dedicated to service. Tell a story that shows why service is important to you – when did service or a kind interaction make an impact in your life? How can you “pay it forward” for others?
• A team player. Share how you made your team better.
• Committed to work at their location for at least a few years. Make sure to communicate that you want to stick around – if they think you’ll leave when things get tough, or when you get a better offer, they won’t hire you.

OK. Now you know what they’re after, here’s what they’ll ask you…

Chick-fil-A Interview Questions

Each Chick-fil-A franchise will have a different set of questions, but they’re all trying to understand the same things.

All of the questions will probe either your:

• Personality. Do they want to spend lots of time around you?
• Motivation and work ethic. What’s motivating you to show up and work hard, even on days you don’t feel like it?
• Experience, skills and problem solving. Will you provide great customer service, even when you’re tired? Will you make your team better?
• Logistics. When will you start? Will you continue to work for them?

What do these look like? Here are some examples, from dozens of different job applicants.

40 Example Chick-fil-A Interview Questions

Sample Responses to Chick-Fil-A Interview Questions

Many of the questions above are different ways of looking for the same five things – work ethic, character, good at service, a team player, and committed.

Here’s how you can respond to some of the most common ways interviewers might try and get at these questions.

Why do you want to work at Chick-fil-A?

You want to show them that you’ve done research about Chick-fil-A (work ethic), explain why you need a job (motivation), that you’ll be around for a couple of years (commitment). But make this response your own.

I might say something like:

I need to get a job to pay for gas and my car. I’m going to be saving up over the next couple of years, so I can backpack in Europe after I graduate (to communicate I’m committed for several years).

Chick-fil-A is my favorite restaurant. Every time I come here, no matter which location, It’s amazing – service is fast, people are smiling, and I can tell they like each other. And the food… I still remember my first waffle fry, when I was four years old at the Carolina Circle Mall….

Do you have any questions for me?

I’d be really tactical, and ask what it would take to get hired:

I really want to work here. Could you tell me what you’re looking for?

And, if it’s the end of the interview, I’d say:

I really want to work here. If you weren’t going to hire me, what would be the reason – I’d love a chance to answer any concerns you might have.

If a customer makes you angry, how would you handle it?

Try to outline what you’d do, step by step:

If a customer makes me angry, I’d take a deep breath, remember that I don’t know what’s going on in their life and that they’re probably upset about something else, own up to what we did wrong, and do my best to solve their problem.

What pay are you expecting?

First, take a look at on Glassdoor to see what Chick-fil-A and other restaurants are paying in your area. Then, you can say:

I looked on Glassdoor, and it says that this job typically starts at $X per hour, so that’s what I was expecting. The most important thing for me is getting paid the same as other people with my level of experience, and having an opportunity to succeed over time.

Tell me about when you went above and beyond what was expected.

Think through your experience for when you made a huge effort for something. It could be a birthday party you organized, an event you planned, a service activity, or something you did in a previous job. For example:

I volunteer at the local soup kitchen each Thursday morning, making food and washing dishes. They have breakfast twice a week, but didn’t have the supplies or volunteers to offer more meals.

So I asked teachers at my school if I could go class to class, and made an announcement in every class, asking people to sign up to drive student volunteers, to volunteer, and to raise money or food donations. As a result, we the kitchen was able open for breakfast Monday through Friday.

Are you a hard worker?

Say yes, tell why, and share a story that illustrates how you work hard.

Yes, if I do something, I’m going to do my best. I wake up every day to train for the track team starting at 6AM before school.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

For strengths, you can be honest. For weaknesses, definitely don’t say anything that suggests you won’t work hard, you’re late or unreliable, or you might change your mind and quit the job. I’d say something that focuses on your lack of skills or experience:

I’ve never worked at a restaurant before. But I have had service roles in volunteer organizations, and I work hard and learn quickly.

What is your availability?

If you have any hard constraints, share them, but mostly express your eagerness to start as soon as possible, unless you absolutely can’t:

I’m excited to start immediately, but could wait if you’re not quite ready. What is your timeline?

Chick-Fil-A Interview Preparation Checklist

Do this to nail your interview:

• Make sure you can answer:
  • Why do you want the job?
  • What do you love about Chick-fil-A?
  • What’s going to motivate you to go to work when you’re tired and you want to stay home?
  • What is an example of great service?
  • Name a great experience you’ve had at Chick-fil-A?
• Plan out your answers to the questions above. Start by writing bullet points for each one.
• Practice responding out loud. Then, ask yourself the questions, and practice quick responses.
• Get feedback. Next have someone ask you questions off the list. Record your responses. Ask your mock interviewer how you could have responded better, and watch the recordings to see how you can improve.
• (Day before) Check your clothes. Make sure you have clothes that are clean, smart, and not wrinkly. Wear khakis or nice jeans, a button-down shirt (tucked in), and a belt.
• (Day of) Check your transport. Make sure you have a ride, gas in your tank, inflated bike tires, or money on your bus pass so you don’t get delayed in transit.
• Get hyped. Get some exercise, listen to music, watch a movie clip – whatever gets you excited to go and crush the interview.
• Arrive 10 minutes early. Make sure to budget enough time to arrive early, even with traffic or other hiccoughs on the road.

Other interview resources

• Complete guide to getting a job with informational interviews
• Cold emailing for an internship or job
• How to ask if an internship is paid
• How to get a job at a career fair