This Tennessee town had a meltdown when their local Chick-fil-A closed for a month

The last time I had Chick-fil-A was on April 27th, 2016, when my roommates and I went to the restaurant on Florida State’s campus for one last family lunch. I wish I could say that my month-long clean streak was maintained through sheer willpower and a desire to eat healthy, but that would be a bold lie.

My hometown Chick-fil-A has been closed this month due to remodeling. I personally believe this is a crime against the very people of Cleveland, TN. I don’t recall being asked if it was OK for our sole Chick-fil-A to close, forcing me to drive all the way to Chattanooga if I want to eat one of S. Truett Cathy’s perfect chicken sandwiches. I had to suffer through nine long months of a limited menu at the FSU location, only to be greeted by locked doors when I wanted to get some chicken minis on my way to work.

I’m not the only one who is coping with a lack of nuggets. Locals have spoken out on Twitter. We want the world to know of our trials and suffering.

When the backbone of our town closed its doors a few weeks ago, Clevelanders showed up to pay their respects.

Many of the townsfolk were in denial. We thought we were being duped and decided to investigate the site ourselves.

We’re a simple town that takes pleasure in simple things like sweet tea, chicken nuggets and chocolate chip cookies. Chick-fil-A’s new app guarantees us a free sandwich, which brought a bit of hope to our nugget-less hearts. Then we remembered the loss our community has suffered and this app serves as a harsh reminder of our pain.

I work just a mile up the road from Chick-fil-A and I’ve waited on people who are absolutely furious that our local treasure is boarded up for the time being.

“I just can’t believe that it’s been a month since I’ve had a spicy chicken sandwich,” said Taylor, a friend, as she angrily tore into a slice of pizza. “I would rather die than drive down to Wendy’s and be served a tray of lies.”

Her date, Aaron, shared the same sentiment.

“I don’t think the people running Chick-fil-A understand just how important this restaurant is. You can’t give us one fully capable restaurant and then close it. It’s bad enough they’re closed on Sundays, but this? This is taking it too far.”

Cleveland Chick-fil-A, I’m honored that you think you have to make yourself prettier for the slew of returning college students. But let me be the first to tell you that it wasn’t needed. The welcoming smell of nuggets and fries was more than enough to set our hearts aflutter.

We’re coming home to you from our cafeterias and instant ramen dinners. You told me this would only be for a few weeks, but I don’t know how long I can wait. Sure, I’m better off without you. I know the first month of detox is always the hardest. But we both know I’ll be there when you re-open, ready for my eight count nuggets meal and sweet tea.