According to a 2021 McKinsey study, the global food delivery market has more than tripled in size since 2017, meaning more and more delivery workers continue to hit the streets. New York City alone is home to over 65,000 delivery workers, many of which complete deliveries on bicycles.
In response, Chick-fil-A has opened a new space in the Upper East Side, offering the delivery community a free spot to store their bike, rest between deliveries and warm up from the cold. Located on Third Ave. between 83rd and 84th streets, “The Brake Room” provides outlets for phone charges, Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, beverages and one of the most intriguing parts for an on-the-go New Yorker, bathrooms. 
The Brake Room is fully available to all food delivery workers (not just those delivering for Chick-fil-A) by showing proof of delivery within the past week via an eligible third-party food delivery app, such as DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub, Postmates or Caviar. Chick-fil-A says the highest number of Manhattan-based Chick-fil-A deliveries were reported in the winter months of last year, proving that the food delivery community has become an increasingly important part of its business.
“In metro areas like New York City, we see the same food delivery workers come through nearly every day of the week, several times a day, and how taking an extra second to warm up between deliveries or offering a glass of water helps to fuel them on for their shift,” Jared Caldwell, owner of a Manhattan Chick-fil-A, said in a press release. Caldwell operates a Chick-fil-A on Third Ave. in the Upper East Side, two-and-a-half blocks from The Brake Room.
“The food delivery community helps to power our businesses, and this is just our small way of showing appreciation for all they do,” he said. The space is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Brake Room is clearly a thoughtful endeavor for the food delivery community, especially in a congested city like The Big Apple. But it does close at 7 p.m.—peak food delivery time—and is closed on Sundays (like Chick-fil-A). As a limited-time experience, the space is also set to only be open through April.
However, if successful, perhaps Chick-fil-A and other companies that utilize delivery often will follow suit—providing a quick, safe haven for the over 1 million delivery personnel in the U.S.
