The beloved Chick-Fil-A on campus will be closing at the end of this academic year after over thirty years. The decision was not made by the college, but rather Chick-Fil-A’s corporate office. They made the decision to close all licensed locations that were earning less than $1,000,000 in yearly revenue, unfortunately taking out the location in Zach’s. The Chick-Fil-A on campus was only bringing in about $600,000 in revenue each year.

AVI representatives have been in contact with Chick-Fil-A concerning a renovation and working to make it happen, and then the corporate office made their decision.

“A few weeks went by after the conversation and that is when we learned,” one representative said.

Students and AVI representatives met Monday to discuss the closing and next steps.

“We wanted to hear input from the students and what they are interested in having on campus”, another AVI representative said.

According to these representatives, Wofford is not the only college to be affected by this change. Several other colleges around the country will no longer have Chick-Fil-A.

“This was a system-wide decision and not something that Wofford could control”, one representative said.

Chick-Fil-A decided to focus on their more high income, standalone restaurants.

At the meeting, students and representatives conversed about potential new dining options in Zach’s. An initial survey drew around 50 responses, with the most popular ones being Chipotle, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Cava. Unfortunately, getting an on-campus Chipotle will not be possible because the company does not operate on campus locations, only bigger franchises. Other options include Raising Canes, Dave’s Hot Chicken and more.

“We have reached out to a few different restaurants, and Raising Canes and Tzaziki’s have shown interest,” said a representative.

Another idea that was presented at the meeting was a brand new Wofford restaurant, similar to the Galleria. A working name was Terrier Eats.

“We could create our own concept, a place where we could rotate different menus and meals and make it unique to our campus”, another representative said.

With an independent approach, the college could adjust the menu to what the students want and have more flexibility. With a national franchise, it would be harder to change or add things to the menu. However, some concerns were voiced about quality control and brand recognition, along with a possible wait.

“People like Chick-Fil-A because it’s quick. At Boars Head, you are waiting in line for around ten minutes”, one student voiced.

With Chick-Fil-A, the food is sitting on the counter ready for students to eat, making it a quick option for a meal between classes.

Another option students suggested were foods like poke bowls, Mediterranean dishes, and fried rice, along with local Spartanburg restaurants to bring Wofford closer to the community.

“We don’t want the same types of food at every dining hall on campus or we will get tired of it”, another student said.

One point brought up was that a new restaurant could even be open on Sundays, which drew some laughs around the room.

The decision on what will replace Chick-Fil-A will ultimately be guided by the students. AVI representatives and Wofford officials plan to meet with the Campus Union representatives to get their opinions and make a final decision. Minor renovations will occur over the summer, with the new dining option presenting in Zach’s in the fall of 2026.

“It’s sad to see Chick-Fil-A go, but this is a good opportunity to try something new. We want a place that students can enjoy and be proud of,” one representative concluded.

Students can continue to share their thoughts and feedback by emailing [email protected] or by contacting their Campus Union representatives.