Everyone thinks Chick-fil-A wins because of the food. And sure, the chicken is delicious. The service is also great, and the staff are trained to specifically smile and say “my pleasure” for every “thank you” they receive. None of these are the reason for their success though.

Their real differentiator is in how they read human movement, and then build a successful location based on that data.

How many quick service restaurants do you know of that create in-house drone teams to survey their locations? Or what about entirely removing drive-thru windows, and creating drive-thru doorways instead? While most quick service restaurants are trying to remove the human, Chick-fil-A stands out both for their technology usage and for hiring even more people to work the drive thru.

Chick-fil-A is like the Disney of quick service restaurants, they have mastered the art of creating a great meal experience — from where people go, when they show up, to how they behave once they get there.

Mobility Data Isn’t Fancy — It’s Foundational

Before a shovel hits the ground, Chick-fil-A already knows that they have an extremely high likelihood of success for their next location. This is, in large part, thanks to their mobile app.

Their mobile app has millions of reviews, and many more millions of downloads. This is simply a gold mine for insights, and any restaurant that doesn’t develop an app is at a complete disadvantage. Just look at the data they get from their customers:

By gathering location data, Chick-fil-A knows:

• Where you order from, and how far you are willing to travel
• What intersections pull the highest morning traffic
• How commuter flow shifts on Fridays

Hell, I’d wager they even know how a rainstorm likely will impact the lunch rush at 12:30 PM versus 1:00 PM.

They simply leave nothing to chance.

Invisible Intelligence: The App That Knows All

When you have millions of data points (customers), you know which neighborhoods your customers live in, you know which neighborhoods spend the most at your restaurant, and you know that a location near those neighborhoods will generate a ton of excitement for the people that live there.

And Chick-fil-A’s app is a geolocation machine:

• When you enable location services, the kitchen gets a heads-up that you're arriving.
• Orders aren’t made when you tap ‘confirm’ — they’re timed to when you're 2–3 minutes away by leveraging geofencing.
• You pull up to the restaurant and scan the QR code, confirming your presence.
• Staff walks food out right as you pull up, minimizing handoff friction.

By syncing kitchen prep to real-world motion, they cut down wait times, reduce cold food complaints, and optimize staffing minute-by-minute. Every update from your phone is a tiny logistical signal. Chick-fil-A turns millions of those signals into a streamlined operation.

Your Commute Is Their Strategy

Let’s take a moment to think about the experience when you arrive to a Chick-fil-A location. You notice the line. You notice how fast it moves.

What you don’t notice?

Every inch of that drive-thru was designed based on the data data.

Most recently, they went as far as creating an in-house drone team, alongside the use of security cameras, to study behavior traffic patterns in and around the restaurant.

The continuous use of technology to study mobility patterns has shaped the experience by:

• Stacking lanes that absorb volume without feeling slow
• Face-to-face ordering during peak surges to cut congestion
• Menu board placement designed to match where cars pause naturally
• Escape lanes that let customers exit without getting trapped
• Drive-thru doors instead of windows, increasing the speed that workers can deliver food to cars in line

They even study what happens outside the property line: how traffic lights, turning lanes, and neighboring businesses affect customer flow. Because winning the drive-thru isn’t about managing the counter — it’s about managing the movement before customers even enter the lot.

While most restaurants react to chaos, Chick-fil-A orchestrates flow before chaos happens.

Most Businesses Are Still Guessing

Ask most businesses where their customers come from and you’ll get guesses:

• "Probably within five miles."
• "Mostly locals, I think."
• "Lunch crowd seems big on Wednesdays."

Belief is not data.

And when you don’t understand movement, you can’t optimize for it.

Here’s what most businesses miss:

• Not all foot traffic is good traffic. A busy corner doesn’t matter if no one stops.
• Not all traffic flows the same direction. Afternoon patterns are different than morning ones.
• Not all peak hours are obvious. Sometimes a minor 10-minute surge can double revenue if captured correctly.

Chick-fil-A isn’t just placing stores.

They’re placing experiences exactly where — and when — demand shows up.

They design around flow. Around habits. Around real movement — not just zip codes and census reports.

Mobility Data Shapes Every Decision

Understanding movement isn’t just about picking real estate. It’s about fine-tuning everything:

• Menu boards: Items that cause decision fatigue get demoted during peak hours.
• Staffing models: Labor is scaled based on projected arrival rates, not historical guesses.
• Parking lot design: Spots are placed based on observed entry/exit friction.
• Marketing offers: Promotions are geo-targeted to specific high-mobility neighborhoods.

Even event planning — local sponsorships, school tie-ins, regional promotions — are adjusted based on where clusters of movement indicate strong future growth.

Mobility intelligence isn't a tool. It's a way of thinking.

You Don’t Need Billion-Dollar Tools To Start

Understanding movement isn’t reserved for Fortune 500 companies. You don’t need a global tech stack.

You just need the right lens. The right lens starts by asking the right questions:

• Where do my customers come from before they reach me?
• What patterns shape when they arrive?
• How does external movement — events, weather, school schedules — affect my flow?
• How can we tap into external movement?

At Intertwine, we help businesses uncover these hidden rhythms by tapping into events local to each and every restaurant location.

Because the insights that grow revenue?

They’re often outside your front door — not buried in a spreadsheet. Real-world behavior is happening whether you track it or not.

The only question is whether you’re using it to grow.

What We’re Saying

Mobility data is the new competitive edge.

Chick-fil-A just leads the pack in turning the data into real, profit generating, value-driven insights.

The best part is that all restaurants can catch up. Movement leaves patterns, patterns create opportunities, and opportunities lead to growth. If you want to become more strategic with how you bring people into your restaurant, Intertwine will help get you there.