Situated in front of the Central Academic Building, the Chick-fil-A pop-up offers additional dining options to Texas A&M University-San Antonio students.
Chick-fil-A is a subcontractor under Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s Chartwells food services contract.
“They have been an amazing partner with subcontracting and seeking to bring more restaurants to campus,” said University Services Director Janae Johnson.
Students can grab their favorite Chick-fil-A items from the tent set up at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the CAB courtyard. Chick-fil-A is just the first restaurant in line for what University Services is calling the “Guest Restaurant Program.”
Since the program started early October, Chick-fil-A has averaged 200 transactions per day, said Johnson and Leo Nunez, director of dining services for Chartwells. The most popular item among students is the classic chicken sandwich.
While the prices are higher than in restaurants, “It’s cheaper to get it on campus than on DoorDash,” Johnson said.
Students, like international business freshman Madison Morales, appreciate the convenient location and quick service.
“If I’m going to class, I can grab something and be on the go,” Morales said. “I’m just sad they don’t have the nuggets or waffle fries. I love those.”
As the popularity grows on campus, University Services hopes for an upgrade from a pop-up tent to the official Chick-fil-A food truck. With this, students would see an increase in menu options, including freshly made waffle fries and chicken nuggets.
Despite previous debates behind Chick-fil-A and its stance with the LGBT community, most students, like computer science junior Emily Lane, have found a way to still enjoy the food.
“I look at it the same way I do artists,” Lane said, “I can still enjoy the music even if I don’t agree with the artist as a person. If it wasn’t so political, I think people probably wouldn’t care or talk about it as much.”
Chick-fil-A has been controversial since 2012 when former CEO Dan Cathy said he supported “the biblical definition of the family unit and marriage only between a man and a woman,” according to an article by ABC News.
As of 2019, Chick-fil-A said it no longer funds organizations with anti-LGBTQ+ ties.
The Mesquite asked if the university plans to partner with other restaurants, but University Services was unable to confirm anything at this time.
Johnson said Chick-fil-a will be on campus for the following days for the remainder of the semester:
- Wednesday, Dec. 6
- Tuesday, Dec. 12
- Wednesday, Dec. 13
Chick-fil-A will resume the on-campus pop-up on Tuesdays and Wednesdays beginning Jan. 1.
Students are encouraged to reach out to University Services at auxiliary.services@tamusa.edu with suggestions of other restaurants they would like to see on campus.
