AUSTIN -- Northwest Austin residents can finally get their Chick-fil-A fix again; the West Braker Lane and U.S. 183 location reopened Wednesday after a five-month remodel.
The franchise owner said it needed to grow with Austin's population -- the new building is double the size of the original and now has a third drive-thru lane.
Jeff Glover, who has operated the restaurant for 15 years, continued to pay his 50 employees during the remodel.
"I thought to myself, 'I don't want my group to have to forgo their salaries,'" he said. As an extra incentive, Glover gave all of his employees a $1 per hour raise.
Norma Baynes, one of the managers at the restaurant, said this type of generosity usually doesn't happen in today's business climate.
"I've been here for over a decade and I can't put into words how much this means," she said.
The workers were required to do some online testing while the store was closed, and Glover is expected to hire additional workers. The Braker Lane Chick-fil-A is the largest in the Austin area at 5,700 square feet.
