Chick-fil-A store sees catering growth, looks to expand

While many stores have decided to leave College Mall within the last few years, Chick-fil-A owner Bryan Kelso saw an opportunity and took over the mall restaurant in March 2004.\nThe 30-year-old owner was first introduced to the Chick-fil-A business model four years ago working as an accountant in Atlanta. He decided to apply for an operatorship and entered a two-year training program under an approved operator. Upon completing his training, Kelso was given several options as to where he could run his store. Bloomington was his top choice.\n"What drew us here was that it's a college town -- very different from a typical Midwestern small town," Kelso said. "Bloomington has a strong international flavor. Plus, we felt that it's a growing and stable community."\nHe also said he found Bloomington very friendly in a way very similar to the southern hospitality he knew. \nThe store changed hands between three previous operators since it opened in 1991.\nKelso found the store's sales during his first year of leadership slightly off, because of the construction of College Mall, which blocked his entrance for nearly six months.\n"Also, the prior operator has let the image of the store slide a little bit. Plus, we were up against new competition coming in," Kelso said, referring to the Subway and Panera Bread chain locations nearby. \nKelso also said last year chicken prices were at a 10-year high. \nBut Chick-fil-A catering in January and February was up 20 and 50 percent, respectively, he said. \n"Outside catering really fuels our business," Kelso said. "It tends to be 10 to 40 percent of our everyday sales."\nHowever, Kelso said many people don't know Chick-fil-A caters, and the business needs to reach out more to IU. \nAnother challenge for Chick-fil-A is the healthy eating trend, which makes the brand adapt to a new strategy. Even customers can sense the change.\n"Compared with my childhood memories, I feel Chick-fil-A is trendier now," said graduate student Sayako Kimura. "I feel they are putting more emphasis on salad and fruits, while before there were only fried chicken and nuggets."\nKelso said the store has rolled out several new products for health-conscious customers, such as char-grilled chicken sandwiches, fresh fruit and salads, which received good responses from consumers.\nKelso said the char-grilled chicken sandwich is healthier than many of Subway's, containing only 3.5 grams of fat. \n"Our challenge is to educate people that the options here are healthy," Kelso said.\nFollowing a national trend among quick-service restaurants, Chick-fil-A is expanding at the rate of 60 to 70 free-standers per year and is planning to build a free-stander in Bloomington in 2006.\nAs of now, Kelso, who hopes to run the new free-stander, said he believes the College Mall location will stay open.\n"In the long run, it gives the company a presence and an opportunity to continue to build customer awareness," he said. "It also gives them time to see where the best location (for the free-stander) would be."\nThroughout his first year in Bloomington, Kelso said one of the most common questions he has from his customers is why the store closes on Sundays. He explained that although the real reason was probably the exhaustion from work, the Chick-fil-A founder decided to honor that day as a family day, giving his employees an opportunity to attend religious ceremonies or to spend time with their family. \nJoshua Counts, Chick-fil-A employee and Bloomington High School South student, said he enjoys this policy.\n"You work a lot and it is nice to have a day off," Counts said. "You can relax and get to see people you serve outside of work and have conversation with them."\nKelso said the closed-on-Sunday policy emphasizes the underlying foundation of the company -- Chick-fil-A cares about people.\n"Chick-fil-A is not in the chicken business," he said. "We are in (the) people business."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Sopaporn Saeung at ssaeung@indiana.edu.