A Chick-fil-A location in Arlington is preparing to lay off 10 employees next month, according to a state filing—an unexpected move for one of America’s most popular fast food brands.
The Texas Workforce Commission’s WARN database shows that the layoff will affect Chick-fil-A on North Collins Street in Arlington. The job cuts are scheduled to take effect on June 7. The filing was submitted earlier this month as part of the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) tracking.
The WARN Act, passed by Congress in 1988, is designed to protect workers by requiring businesses with 100 or more full-time employees to provide at least 60 days’ notice before a mass layoff or plant closure.
While the law typically applies to larger job cuts—50 or more employees at a single site—some employers voluntarily report smaller layoffs, particularly if they are part of broader business adjustments or internal compliance policies. It is also possible for WARN notices to be filed and later rescinded, meaning a layoff may be planned but not ultimately executed.
Layoffs at Chick-fil-A locations are rare, especially given the chain’s perceived strong financial performance from its devoted customer base. The website WARN Tracker only shows seven WARN notices sent to Chick-fil-A locations across the U.S. between November 2020 and February 2024.
Carmenza Moreno, who operates the North Collins Street location, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In 2022, Chick-fil-A ranked as the third-largest fast food chain in the U.S. by total sales—behind only McDonald’s and Starbucks—despite operating a fraction of the locations.
According to QSR Magazine, the average Chick-fil-A standalone restaurant generates more than $8 million in annual sales, far outpacing the industry average.
Chick-fil-A also frequently clinches the No. 1 spot in the American Customer Satisfaction Index for fast food restaurants.
However, the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement has renewed skepticism of fast food in the American zeitgeist.
Moreover, the broader fast-food industry has also seen a surge in labor organizing in recent years. While Chick-fil-A has largely avoided large-scale unionization, competitors like Starbucks have seen numerous unionization efforts, including some in Denton.
However, available information does not indicate that the Arlington Chick-fil-A layoff is tied to any labor organizing efforts.
While the reasons for the Arlington store’s planned layoff remain unclear, any job loss at a high-volume franchise like Chick-fil-A is bound to raise eyebrows—especially in a local economy where fast food work often serves as a critical entry point for young or hourly workers.