’The Long-Term Stability Here Is Unreal’: Inside the Restaurant Real Estate Team at Chick-fil-A, Inc.

After an accomplished career in real estate, Janet Wu began to wish she could work for a company that was stable without being stagnant.?

As a real estate representative for more than a decade, Wu had seen how marketplace dips could upend the lives of her colleagues in an instant. She had also observed a troubling sense of complacency in an industry that was slow to innovate and adapt.?

Then, Wu joined Chick-fil-A’s offices in Irvine, California. There, she found the promise of something different — a stability made possible by both company structure and ceaseless growth.?

Are you seeking a thriving career in real estate or construction project management, within a growing organization that has a genuine culture of care? Click here to join our Restaurant Development Talent Community.??

“The growth of Chick-fil-A is astounding. It's unlike any other company I've seen out there — and the level of long-term stability here is unreal,” says Wu, a senior real estate representative. “It makes it a great place to work. You can do what you enjoy doing without being at the mercy of real estate cycles.”?

As a family-owned company, Chick-fil-A, Inc. is able to focus its strategy on long-term growth, without needing to cater to shareholders interested in short-term returns. As she met more people at Chick-fil-A, Wu realized how long people stayed at the company, how satisfied they were with the caring culture and unusually generous benefits, and how much career growth they reported experiencing within Chick-fil-A.??

Now, Wu works daily with Chick-fil-A Franchisees responding to complexities brought about by growing demand. From expanding restaurant footprints, to negotiating parking rights, to carving out space for more efficient drive-thrus, every project is different — which is just the way she likes it.?

“Every challenge is new, and that makes it interesting. Because of the environment and culture here, we can be very creative in our problem solving,” Wu says.??

That work experience is a large part of what makes Wu feel she has found a role that is just the right fit for her.?

“Once they join Chick-fil-A, people tend to stay for the long haul,” Wu says. “And that makes sense. I don’t think there’s anything better out there. I get to tackle new challenges with creativity in an environment where I see leaders who are like me and who are thriving. It’s a special place.”??

Are you seeking a thriving career in real estate or construction project management, within a growing organization that has a genuine culture of care? Click here to join our Restaurant Development Talent Community.??