Chick-fil-A — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

KUDOS TO A BIG BUSINESS THAT DID RIGHT BY A TEN-YEAR-OLD BOY!

A few months ago, Chick-fil-A (one of Ben's favorite places to eat) forgot to include his meal in the order. This was at the height of COVID when drive-thru was the only thing open and lines were almost 40 minutes long.

So, Ben and I sat down and wrote them a short letter. We thought they had forgotten about us, but today corporate called and asked specifically to speak to Ben (provided that was ok with his parents!). They talked to him for ten minutes and then sent him a full meal with a big cookie and extras on the house (encouraging him to choose fruit salad instead of fries as a side to make his mom happy!).

Corporate apologized for how long it had taken them to respond because COVID had messed up so much of their communications. They even said that that's why they telephoned Ben personally after school hours (on Dad's phone) so Ben didn't think they had forgotten about him!

Whatever you feel about Chick-fil-A (politics aside) it's nice to see a company extend a personal touch and genuinely care about the opinion of even a 9 (now 10) year-old kid. Ben learned that its good to speak up when mistakes are made (which he understands happens sometimes) and to express himself politely and cordially in doing so.

Ben had a huge smile on his face after the conversation with the corporate officer ended. Way to go guys. You truly made a kid's day.

Below is our original letter. It took a while for them to respond (again, because of COVID) but they didn't ignore Ben and definitely didn't dissapoint!

Too often reviews are negative. Here's to a positive one!

"Order Number: 403876

Dear Mr. Buccellato (Westbury FSR #03451),

My son Ben and I really like Chick-Fil-A. Ben, especially; he's nine and it's a real treat for him when we get it. Today Ben got tested for COVID-19 antibodies and was a really good sport when they drew his blood. So, we got Chick-Fil-A as a treat. Well, my wife and I did. Benjamin's Spicy Chicken Sandwich was missing.

My wife gave him hers (even though hers was deluxe and he had ordered his plain). But for a few moments he was really disappointed. Due to the quarantine, the drive thru wait was 30+ minutes and we didn't even realize we hadn't received his sandwich until we got home (15 minutes away). In any event we did receive his small vanilla shake and his fries, so between that and his mom giving him her sandwich, it wasn't the end of the world He's not terribly upset anymore and neither are we.

Much of our family is in the restaurant business here on Long Island and we know mistakes happen, but we wanted to let you know so you can avoid it in the future. Thanks for taking the time to read.

~ The C. Family (David, Kary, Ben and Olivia...oh, and our dog Diamond!)" Again, kudos to Chick-fil-A on their business doing the right...

Imagine your wife comes home from Chick fila in Westbury and tells you a manager named CARMINE accused & embarrassed her about not paying for cookie toppings for your sons ice cream cone when it clearly was on the receipt. I wonder if my wife was not a black woman, would this have really been an issue? Then she had to go back because the wrong sauce was given to my son when it clearly showed which sauce was ordered. The wrong sauce that was given to my child is the only sauce that he’s he actually allergic too from CFA and could have easily sent him to the hospital had she not noticed. My wife then had to go back into the restaurant a THIRD TIME because CARMINE was so busy being unprofessional that he gave her the wrong item and continued to be COMBATIVE ABD CONDESCENDING towards her in front of multiple customers. What makes this all more concerning is that there was never an apology, and the GM Scott Bucellato has been notified about this and has yet to reach out to us regarding this. It’s hard to believe that racism didn’t play a big part in this. CFA Westbury used to be known for their stellar customer service! My family and I have frequented this location hundreds of times. My teenagers go there with their friends after baseball and swim classes and it’s a true disgrace how my wife was treated. Trust and believe this was not taken lightly when I heard about this and we will move forward with all investigative options when necessary. SHAME ON YOU WESTBURY CFA, CARMINE AND SCOTT BUCELLATO. YOU DISRESPECTED AND EMBARRASSED...

Been to this place several times since its opening week in 2019. Met the owner/operator, Scott Buccellato. He is truly a nice man. Despite a VERY HECTIC opening week, he still took time to stop and briefly chat with me and my family who were dining in. And the times we visited when it was not so crowded, he did share a bit of his life story and the passion he has to provide for a friendly restaurant serving great food with great service--and be an asset to the local community. As for the food, yes, I think the chicken sandwiches and nuggets are AWESOME. (Even the Cobb salad! Very fresh!) But a lot has already been written about Chick-fil-A's food--and the comparison against all the other fast food joints and their offerings. And for me, great food coupled with great service is what sets this place (and most other Chick-fil-A's) apart. The service staff is a mix of young and old (i.e. not just teens as with other fast food joints!) and indeed very friendly. And yes, I've even see Mr. Buccellato personally serve and bus tables during the lunch- and dinner-time crushes. Word of caution: The drive-thru lines can be EXTREMELY LONG. (I've never seen it NOT spill out onto the nearby side streets!) And even at 7AM on a weekday (the only time I've used it!), there's at least two or three cars waiting to pick-up food. For what it's worth, I think the long drive-thru lines are indicative of ALL Chick-fil-As (not sure why) but the food order still comes out hot, fresh,...