18 Rude Things North Carolinians Do at Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A’s menu may look simple—an Original Chicken Sandwich here, a creamy Mac & Cheese there—but that smooth setup only works when North Carolinians remember their manners.

Some customers manage to turn waffle-fry heaven into a rudeness rodeo.

From sauce hoarders to curbside chaos, here are some of the most cringeworthy behaviors Chick-fil-A regulars who aren’t rude have to deal with.

Blocking the Drive-Thru While Scrolling

The twin drive-thru lanes at Chick-fil-A move like clockwork… until a customer inches forward at the speed of a snail while replying to a text message.

Engines idle, waffle fries cool, and the promise of “quick service” melts faster than a Cookies & Cream Milkshake.

Outside order-takers with handheld tablets pace each car like a pit crew. When one driver stalls, they have to sidestep bumpers or jog backward to scan a license plate, wrecking the flow.

Do the prep work first: Wallet ready, phone down, and music low. The line keeps rolling, your chicken stays hot, and no one behind you needs to honk.

Treating “My Pleasure” as a Comedy Routine

Every Chick-fil-A meal ends with a chipper “my pleasure.” But forcing employees to repeat it—“Say it again!”—turns genuine warmth into a circus act.

Workers already say those two words hundreds of times each shift. Making them parrot the phrase on demand drains the charm quicker than you can finish a fruit cup.

Show real gratitude instead. Offer one sincere “thank you,” hold eye contact, and appreciate that fresh Honey Pepper Pimento Sandwich they just handed over.

Ignoring the Two-Lane Merge Etiquette

Side-by-side order lanes have a rhythm to keep traffic—and orders—flowing.

So, the speedster who rudely lunges ahead to beat the car that ordered before them will still end up waiting while the kitchen catches up.

Crew members link meals to license plates, so cutting doesn’t save time—it only backs up traffic and lets the Chocolate Fudge Brownie you ordered get cold.

Take turns like kindergarten carpool and wave the next driver through. You’ll get those chicken nuggets, we promise.

Ordering TikTok Hacks at Peak Rush

A custom Spicy Deluxe stuffed with Mac & Cheese and drenched in Zesty Buffalo sounds tasty—just not at 12:05 p.m. when Chick-fil-A’s lunch crowd snakes around the lot.

Each extra swap forces cashiers to override screens, cooks to freestyle, and heat lamps to juggle waffles that grow soggy.

Our advice to avoid being rude? Save “secret-menu” stunts for mid-afternoon lulls or place them through the app.

That allows Chick-fil-A’s kitchen to keep pace, and your masterpiece will still taste like internet fame.

Complaining About Sunday Closures on Saturday Night

It happens without fail: A customer reaches the Chick-fil-A counter at 9:57 p.m. and demands, “Why can’t you open tomorrow?” as if the store’s Sunday policy just landed from space.

Employees can’t rewrite Truett Cathy’s rulebook; public grumbling only spoils their final shift minutes.

If you truly can’t go a day without eating Chick-fil-A, plan ahead: Grab an extra 12-count Nugget Meal for the fridge and let the staff enjoy their guaranteed day off.

Hoarding Sauce Packets

There’s no doubt about it: Chick-fil-A Sauce upgrades any savory order.

But asking for twenty packets drains the bin before dinner rush hits. And, honestly, are you really going to use all 20 packets in one sitting?

Managers track inventory like gold bullion. When a sauce bandit strikes, the next guest faces dry waffle fries.

The non-rude thing to do?

Request what you’ll actually dunk—a Polynesian for sandwich splashes and a Garden Herb Ranch for fries—and leave enough packets for everyone else.

Deserting Half-Used Sauces on Tables

Sticky Honey Mustard cups left behind glue napkins to tables and wrapers to plastic seats.

No crew member wants to clean up such a mess, even if it’s technically part of their job description.

A quick tidy works wonders. Slide leftovers into your sandwich wrapper and toss the bundle in the trash.

That’s simply the polite thing to do so that the next customer can enjoy their Cool Wrap in a crumb-free zone.

Treating Lemonade Samples Like Bottomless Drinks

Chick-fil-A’s hand-squeezed lemonade is legendary. But asking for five “taste tests” of classic, diet, and Frosted Lemonade drains pitchers in minutes—not to mention employees’ time.

Each sample pull interrupts cashiers juggling Cobb Salad add-ons and Sunjoy refills.

Unsure which drink to buy?

Pick one—refills cost pennies—then try the next flavor tomorrow.

Debating Sauce Choices at the Counter

Staring at the Chick-fil-A Sauce chart while weighing Honey Roasted BBQ versus Sriracha stalls the register.

Employees can’t close your ticket until sauces are chosen, and heat-lamp timers keep ticking.

If you’re unfamiliar with Chick-fil-A’s sauces, that’s totally understandable. In that case, read the options on the menu or online before ordering.

Parking Wildly for Curbside

Curbside slots are numbered so Chick-fil-A runners can sprint orders to cars.

Drivers who camp in the fire lane or elsewhere for their Grilled Chicken Club force staff to weave through traffic, balancing tipsy milkshakes and chicken everything.

Stick to marked spaces, correctly list your car color, and expect your bag to arrive before the ice in your Sunjoy melts.

Using Employees as Condiment Valets

You sit, spot your eight-count Nuggets missing Honey Pepper Hot Sauce, and flag a runner.

Two minutes later, it’s napkins. Then Texas Pete. Then more sauce.

Each request pulls staff off scheduled tasks like sanitizing booths or restocking ice. Requesting multiple items at multiple different times puts you squarely into the “rude” box.

Shouting “Customer Is Always Right” Over a Missing Pickle

A Spicy Deluxe minus its two pickle chips is annoying. But yelling mantras at the counter is totally unnecessary.

Kind words with a calm voice when an order is wrong will get you further.

Staff will fix the sandwich, maybe toss in a Chocolate Chunk Cookie, and apologize for the mistake.

Camping at Tables During Peak Hours

Free Wi-Fi plus refillable Diet Lemonade tempts Chick-fil-A diners to turn booths into office space.

Meanwhile, a family with two Chick-n-Strip Kids Meals wanders for seats.

Table turnover is vital to restaurants. When the lunch rush hits, do the polite thing and relocate to your car, home, or… anywhere that isn’t the seat you’ve been sitting in for the past five hours.

Your courtesy means fewer icy glares from employees and customers in line.

Returning Half-Eaten Mac & Cheese for a Refund

Let’s get this straight: A mac & cheese bowl scraped clear of its baked-cheddar crust doesn’t count as “not what I wanted.”

Demanding money back for something you ate a good amount of burns goodwill and a company budget meant for real errors.

Corporate may comp you anyway, but don’t think you’re fooling the staff.

Refusing to Pull Forward on Party-Tray Orders

Picking up a 50-count Nugget Tray plus two gallons of Sweet Tea from Chick-fil-A’s drive-thru lane takes time. When staff ask you to park in spot #3, they’re doing it to keep the drive-thru moving for everyone else.

Yet there are some customers who insist on staying put, blocking the window while eight cars pile up behind them.

For the love of all things Chick-fil-A, please don’t be one of these people.

Snapping Photos of Employees Without Consent

Sure, those red Chick-fil-A polos pop on camera. But sneaking photos of employees isn’t just rude, it could even break the law, especially since minors often run the tablets.

If you feel your life isn’t complete without taking a photo with a Chick-fil-A worker in it, ask first.

Many team members will smile beside your Peppermint Chip Milkshake and even suggest a better angle.

Littering Bags in the Parking Lot

After tailgate Chick-n-Strips, some drivers ditch oily bags in the parking lot. Seagulls shred them, and rain turns them into a mushy mess.

Littering is frustrating from an environmental point of view, and it’s also rude to employees; runners have to dodge garbage to deliver meals and risk slipping on stray, half-eaten pickles.

Plus, no one wants to find waffle fries clinging to their car tires.

Placing Speakerphone Crowd Orders

Ordering at the drive-thru while you’re talking with someone on speakerphone—“Mom wants a 30-count Nugget, Sis needs a Cookies & Cream Milkshake, extra Mac & Cheese?”—forces staff to decode two voices over engine noise.

Mishears turn “no ice” into “extra ice,” leading to return trips and cold food.

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