Two owner-operators began seeking solutions to manage higher paper costs and excessive waste
Chick-fil-A is testing reusable drink caddies after two owner-operators began seeking solutions to save on paper costs while also cutting down on paper waste. According to a post on the company’s website, the optional two-drink caddy is made from Polypropylene and was created with input from Chris Walker, a multi-restaurant owner-operator in Charleston, S.C., and John Spenst, owner-operator of a Chick-fil-A in Little Rock, Ark.
In a statement, Chick-fil-A packaging team’s senior project lead Lori Barnett said the company has seen a 300% increase in the use of paper drink carriers to meet speed and accuracy needs.
“But we’ve also observed in many cases that once drinks are in the hands of our guests, the paper carriers quickly get tossed aside.,” she said.
Walker also noticed this trend while managing higher paper costs, which have grown by an average of 6% each year since 2020, according to IBISWorld data. So, he contacted the company’s packaging team to explore options.
“I noticed that paper costs were too high and began investigating where there was an opportunity to make improvements,” he said in a statement. “This started as a basic idea, but the end result represents a profound impact.”
Meanwhile, Spenst began evaluating alternative options when his financial consultant pointed out how much waste was tied up with paper drink carriers. He shared his thoughts with the company’s packaging team and learned that Walker had already proposed a similar idea with Lindsay Horne, director of strategic initiatives for Walker’s Restaurants.
Both restaurants were instrumental in developing the final innovation, the company said, alongside cross-functional teams from Chick-fil-A, which made on-site visits to collect insights. The test included off-the-shelf products and several prototypes and the one chosen was easy to use, clean, and store. Walker said he’s seen cost savings and waste reduction since his restaurant started using the reusable caddy.
“We like that this new option provides stability and also gives our team members an additional opportunity to engage with guests when they deliver the order — whether it’s to a car or a table,” Barnett said.
She expects restaurants will keep six to 12 reusable caddies in rotation, estimating a potential savings of 91,000 pounds of paperboard per year. Beginning this month, all Chick-fil-A restaurants will have the option to use the new caddies.
Chick-fil-A has ramped up its sustainability efforts in recent years. Last year, it was the first restaurant chain to commit to the U.S. Food Waste Pact, for instance, a voluntary agreement launched in late 2023 to help businesses reduce their waste. Chick-fil-A’s Shared Table program was created in 2012 to donate restaurants’ surplus food to local food shelters, soup kitchens, and nonprofits.
The company is also piloting a composting program at over 130 restaurants and is testing a new solar-powered microgrid system in California, designed to reduce power usage and costs while also enabling restaurants to keep running even if their areas are impacted by planned or unplanned power outages in the area – a common (and increasing) occurrence throughout the state.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
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