When a South Carolina drive-thru coronavirus vaccine clinic got backed up, leaving people waiting for hours, the town mayor decided to call in a professional for help: a Chick-fil-A manager. Local hospitals in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, opened the clinic on January 22 for residents eligible to receive the first shots of the vaccine. But shortly after the drive-thru opened, the computer system handling registrations went down, causing hundreds of people to wait in heavy traffic. That’s when Jerry Walkowiak, the manager of a nearby Chick-fil-A, was asked to step in to save the day. The fast food chicken chain knows a thing or two about busy drive-thrus — and how to manage them.
… With the help of a few additional volunteers, Walkowiak transformed the messy traffic jam into a smooth operation, reducing the hours-long wait to just 15 minutes. More than 1,000 people received the vaccine that day, the mayor said. When everyone returns for their second dose on February 12, Walkowiak will be back to help manage the drive-thru.