Chick-fil-A Federal Way Bagging Certification Study Guide
Food Safety Standards and Item Hold Times
At Chick-fil-a, Front of House (FOH) and Back of House (BOH) team members must maintain a collaborative relationship to ensure that guests receive the freshest food possible at all times. Central to this goal is the concept of hold times, which are defined as the specific amounts of time that each food item can be held within the chutes before it must be discarded to maintain quality and safety standards. According to Pathways standards, baggers are required to memorize the hold times for every item. For waffle potato fries and hash browns, the hold time is strictly minutes. Chicken nuggets, Chick-fil-a Chick-n-Strips, and Chick-fil-a Chick-n-Minis each have a hold time of minutes. The original Chick-fil-a Chicken Sandwich, the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, and biscuits all maintain a hold time of minutes.
Several items are classified as having no hold time, meaning they are made to order and must be served to the guest immediately. These include the Chick-fil-a Deluxe Sandwich, the Spicy Deluxe Sandwich, Grilled Nuggets, and the Grilled Chicken Sandwich as well as the Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich. Additionally, breakfast muffins are made to order and served immediately with no designated hold time. Maintaining these standards is a critical component of the bagging certification process to ensure product integrity.
Corporate Pairings and Utensil Requirements
Chick-fil-a utilizes a unique system of corporate pairings to simplify the process of providing guests with the correct dressings, utensils, and sides. Under these standards, all salads must be served with a set consisting of fork and knife. Both the cup and the bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup require saltine crackers and a spoon. For the Tortilla Soup, both the cup and the bowl sizes are paired with packet of tortilla strips and a spoon. Dessert and breakfast items also have specific pairings: the Berry Parfait is served with granola packet and a spoon, while the Cookie Parfait is served with serving of Oreo cookies and spoon. The Breakfast Bowl requires packet of Jalapeno Salsa and fork. Finally, if a Kids Meal includes an Ice Dream cup, a spoon must be provided for the guest. Memorizing these corporate pairings is a mandatory requirement for the verbal portion of the bagging test.
Allergy Protocols and Food Safety
Food safety and the management of allergens and intolerances are vital responsibilities for every bagger. Detailed information regarding these topics can be found on the Pathways "Food Allergies and Intolerances" page. When an order is identified as having an allergy, baggers must perform two essential actions: they must clean and sanitize all food contact surfaces to eliminate any potential allergen residue, and they must wash their hands and change their food service gloves. A glove change is specifically required for any order that contains an open comment such as "allergy to gluten" or any other specified allergy.
When bagging orders labeled with an open comment regarding an allergy, the item must be bagged separately from all other items in the guest's order. This process can only occur after the bagger has completed a fresh glove change to prevent cross-contamination. Furthermore, as a general safety requirement, any team member touching ready-to-eat foods must be wearing both a hair net and gloves. These measures ensure the health and safety of guests with specific dietary needs.
Bagging Roles and Responsibilities for Two Baggers
In a standard two-bagger setup, the First Bagger and Second Bagger have distinct and detailed responsibilities. The First Bagger acts as the leader of the station, responsible for bumping orders and matching them to the appropriate tray colors. Blue trays signify drive-thru orders, black trays are for dine-in, and orange trays are designated for carryout or third-party delivery services. The First Bagger must select the correct bag size, ensuring bags are not overfilled and remain in pristine condition—neat, clean, and free of rips, wrinkles, or crumples. Their operational focus is on the secondary side, which includes bagging items such as salads, strips, nuggets (grilled and regular), wraps, mac and cheese, cookies, and brownies. They are also responsible for adding required salad dressings and opening bags for cold items. Communication is vital; during busy times, the First Bagger must tell the Second Bagger what cold items or dressings are needed, whereas during slow periods, the First Bagger retrieves these items themselves from the lowboy. If an order lacks primary chute items or consists only of fries, the First Bagger places the sticker directly on the bag; otherwise, the sticker stays on the tray to indicate the order is incomplete.
The Second Bagger is responsible for the primary side of the operation. This includes managing items such as Chick-fil-a Deluxes, Spicy Deluxes, regular and spicy sandwiches, grilled sandwiches, soups, and seasonal specialty sandwiches. Upon receiving a tray from the First Bagger, the Second Bagger must double-check that all secondary items are present and grab any necessary items from their side of the lowboy. They are responsible for ensuring all sandwiches, soups, toppings, and utensils are included. When bagging fries, the Second Bagger must verify that they are full, fresh, and hot. Their final tasks include a comprehensive order check, adding napkins according to the rule of napkins per entrée, placing the sticker on the bag if it is ready, and passing the completed order to the window team. Both baggers must collaborate to monitor BOH for food holds, communicate waits to the window, and follow the -second rule to park cars if an order is delayed.
Bagging Roles and Responsibilities for Three Baggers
When a Third Bagger is added to the rotation, the responsibilities are redistributed to increase efficiency. The First Bagger maintains the same duties as in the two-bagger setup. However, the Second Bagger is relieved of the responsibility for fries and utensils, allowing them to focus entirely on bagging accuracy and communicating with the Third Bagger. If the window becomes backed up, the Second Bagger continues bagging while the Third Bagger shifts to support the window with sauces and guest handoffs.
The Third Bagger assumes part of the original responsibilities of the Second Bagger. They help ensure all primary and secondary items, dressings, and cold items are correctly included. The Third Bagger is specifically tasked with identifying and adding the correct utensils, toppings, and ensuring all fries are full, fresh, and hot. They must double-check the order if the bag already has a sticker, add napkins at the rate of per entrée, and perform a final verification before passing the order to the window. During peak periods, the Third Bagger must take the initiative to assist with saucing and window support to keep the line moving, while the Second Bagger continues with fries and bagging.
Communication and Operational Procedures
Effective communication is the foundation of smooth operations at the bagging station. A team leader or bagger should request a Third Bagger when the screen turns red or there are orders off-screen. To maintain the speed of service, a car must be parked if its order will take longer than seconds. This must be communicated clearly to the teammate at the window so they can move the vehicle and keep the line flowing. When interacting with the kitchen or Back of House, team members should address one another by name, use "please" and "thank you," and remain specific about their needs while maintaining a caring tone.
There are also specific triggers for when a bagger should stop bagging to assist with other tasks. Specifically, when bags are backed up to the red line on the window station, the bagger should stop bagging and help with saucing. Communication over the walkie-talkie must always be professional and kind, using a caring tone for specific announcements. Because guests can often hear walkie-talkie communications, it is essential to remain polite, use "please" and "thank you," and maintain an awareness of the guest experience while coordinating with the team.