Chick-fil-A has received negative attention in the past for how it treats its employees.
For example, the stores have come under fire for making employees stand outside in extremely hot or even sub-freezing temperatures, and former employees have also complained that they were forced to buy certain brands of clothing or were not paid enough to eat at their stores — a practice that sometimes led employees to steal customer receipts to pay for meals.
Now, a TikTok user is sparking controversy after claiming that Chick-fil-A locations are asking customers to pay $35 to send their kids to “Chick-fil-A Summer Camp,” a virtual experience of what it’s like to be a Chick-fil-A employee.
Chick-fil-A’s Summer Camps for Kids
In a clip that has been viewed more than 684,000 times, TikTok user @bearlynotional shared a post from a Chick-fil-A store saying they were hosting a Chick-fil-A “summer camp.”
“Yes, this is true,” he says, reading out the description of the “summer camp”: “‘Perfect for kids ages 5-12. $35 per child and includes the following: Activities include dining room hosting and customer service skills, taking customer orders and bagging customer orders. We only accept 30 people per session, so register early.'”
“I’m sure kids will want to jump on board with this,” he concluded. “Capitalism is a goddamn drug.”
As TikTok users point out, Follow-up VideoA Chick-fil-A location in West Hammond, Louisiana is hosting “Chick-fil-A Summer Camp,” but the imagery for the program is slightly different than what’s shown in the TikTok user’s video, making it unclear whether the Chick-fil-A location has changed its advertising for the program or if the photo the TikTok user used was edited.
Follow Child labor is making a comeback #capitalism #AntiWork #Let kids be kids #SummerCamp #why #Fast food #customer service #LaborShortage #I don’t want to work anymore ♬ Original Sound – Bearly Notional
About Chick-fil-A Summer Camp
This TikTok user isn’t the first to call out “summer camp.” The image went viral on Facebook earlier this week. 1 post It has received over 1,300 shares.
Some internet users may be surprised at the existence of this summer camp, Some locations There are other places that offer similar programs. For example, Houston TV station KPRC did a report highlighting other places that offer similar programs. According to people interviewed for this article, it is relatively difficult to get a spot because they fill up quickly.
In the comments section, users shared their thoughts about this strange service.
“Wait a second, they want us to pay for our kids to work?” one user asked.
“My kid’s school just went on a field trip to a hotel to learn about hospitality jobs,” another added. “That’s ridiculous so I didn’t let him go.”
“Um, is the jobs crisis really that bad?” a third wondered.
That being said, there were some who supported the idea.
“I don’t know, but I think it’s cute,” one commenter said. “A job is a job, and it’s a great way to help kids understand that people who work in the service industry are people just like them. People often fall into the mindset of ‘that’s an NPC.'”
“This actually helps kids learn life skills they’ll need when they become adults,” a second person argued. “As a customer service worker, this is a great opportunity to teach kids things they may need to know when they become high school students or young adults. It also helps build respect for the people who serve them.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Chick-fil-A via their media request form and to @bearlynotional via email.
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Braden Vieira
Braden Bjella is a culture writer whose work has appeared in Mixmag, Electronic Beats, Schon! magazine and more.
