Chick-fil-A | The Brake Room
The Challenge: In winter 2023, New York City's 65,000 food delivery workers — known as "deliveristas" — lacked access to basic amenities like restrooms, phone charging and a warm place to rest during the city's coldest months. Against the backdrop of the pandemic-driven rise in gig economy labor, Chick-fil-A identified this critical unmet need and launched the Brake Room: a free, secure rest stop designed to support this essential yet underserved workforce. The communications challenge was clear — in a market where Chick-fil-A faced real brand misperception headwinds, the initiative needed to land as an empathy-led investment in the community, not just another marketing moment.
The Opportunity: The Brake Room offered a rare chance to demonstrate brand purpose through action rather than messaging — shifting perceptions in a key urban market by centering the humanity of the deliverista community and positioning Chick-fil-A as a values-driven community partner in New York.
The Work: Nina supported the earned media program, helping shape purposeful, human-centered storytelling through embargoed outreach, advance interviews and curated media previews. Her approach ensured every media touchpoint led with community impact — framing the Brake Room as a sincere, utility-driven solution for a vital workforce often excluded from brand narratives.
The Impact: The Brake Room became one of Chick-fil-A's most visible and credible demonstrations of brand purpose — deepening trust in the region, improving brand favorability and solidifying the company as a purpose-led partner in New York.
The program secured 698 earned media placements with 99% neutral-to-positive sentiment. Coverage spanned CNN Business, TODAY.com, Fox Business, The New York Times, Business Insider, Entrepreneur and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
More than a feel-good moment, the Brake Room redefined what authentic community investment looks like for a QSR brand — blending purpose with tangible public good and signaling a broader evolution in how major restaurant brands invest in the communities they serve.
