What was allegedly first communicated to Boise State Chick-fil-A workers as a summer renovation, quickly changed to a planned temporary closure date of April 15, 2025.
Chick-fil-A worker and Boise State senior Malia Gabel explained several weeks prior to the closure, she heard from fellow employees that management was having one-on-one’s with workers and being told they were eventually going to be laid off.
“I was basically told that they are going to be laying everyone off on April 18 for this remodel and that they’re trying to figure out what accommodations to give everyone else,” Gabel said.
The Arbiter asked Robbie Dickson, vice president of operations for Boise State Dining, via email if any accommodations for current employees will be made.
“We are working internally within our existing operations to place our associates in other dining locations across campus so that they do not lose out on any work hours. In addition, we have also reached out to some local Chick-fil-A stores to place some employees in off-campus locations during this period,” Dickson said.
Gabel explained that, allegedly, the renovation date had been postponed from spring break.
“They said that they were doing us a favor by extending it two more weeks because they were [originally] going to do it right after spring break. From their perspective, I think they’re coming at it as ‘you guys should be grateful that we’re getting you in these next couple weeks’. There’s just not been any transparency,” Gabel said.
Originally, Gabel was supposed to work until May 10, the day of commencement, but now feels she is in a time crunch to find a new job.
Gabel claimed team members who had one-on-one’s were not supposed to share this with other coworkers — which is the only way Gabel found out about the layoffs in the first place.
“My problem is that they have been asking our team members to hide it from each other until they talk to us. I feel very betrayed because had my team not told me, I would be completely in the dark, and for lack of a better word, screwed,” Gabel said. “So [I] would have appreciated them telling all of us and saying, ‘Details are more to come’ and ‘We’ll follow up with this, but as of right now, this is what’s going on’. As far as I know, they’ve kind of covered themselves by saying they were scared of causing a mass panic and [were] afraid that we would all mass quit on them.”
Gabel said she has enjoyed working with her supervisors and coworkers but the lack of transparency has had some employees questioning whether to return in the fall.
“I think it’s hard because we’ve all tried to give them the benefit of the doubt because we’ve been working there for so long,” she shared. “I’ve been working there a little over three years, and it’s never gotten this bad. Especially the community of people we have is just amazing, so I don’t want to leave. Our supervisors are even worried that not enough people are going to come back so they’re going to have to hire brand new people that all need new training.”
Dickson explained the renovation is “required” by Chick-fil-A in order to align with brand standards.
“Since we will have to close the entire facility for the renovations, some of our employees will be affected. The renovation is required by Chick-fil-A in order to meet their brand standards and avoid permanent closure on campus,” Dickson said.
Gabel is currently trying to find a job at a Chick-fil-A location since she is already equipped with the training, but stated she would not return to the on-campus location, even if she wasn’t graduating in May. Her supervisors, she shared, would be the only reason she’d consider returning.
Another employee, who wished to remain anonymous to protect his job security, explained employees were no longer allowed to take home food because it was allegedly assumed workers were making excess food solely for themselves.
Dickson explained associates who are working a full shift receive a free meal and the guidelines regarding taking food products home are a part of company policy.
This employee had been brought in for one of the meetings Gabel was describing only a day before the interview took place.
“They told us our last day is going to be April 18, so they gave us three weeks, but then they started telling other people that today’s their last day, but they want them to come back in the fall,” he said.
“You’re firing these people, but you’re not firing them. You’re just letting them know without notice,” he said. “And with other people that don’t work as much, but are newer, they’re like, ‘Oh, we don’t have the hours for you, so we’re not giving you hours, but we still want you to come back in the fall’.”
While student employees are frustrated with the lack of transparency, Dickson expressed that Boise State Dining is working to provide workers with additional options and work opportunities.
Following the article’s print publication, Dickson noted work has been found for 10 out of the 16 employees and the employees who were not relocated were a result of scheduling conflicts, not a lack of opportunity.
This article was updated on Monday, April 21, 2025, to reflect new information provided by Vice President of Operations for Boise State Dining, Robbie Dickson.
