By Day, He Writes Code. By Night, He Leads the Line.
Phai Nguyen, data engineer by day — Chick-fil-A team member by heart.
Phai Nguyen is a full-time data engineer who spends his evenings and weekends as a shift leader at Chick-fil-A Park Blvd. & Plano Pkwy. in Plano, Texas. He has nearly a decade of Chick-fil-A experience — and he chose to keep coming back. Not because he had to. Because he wanted to.
A Passion for Technology — and People
Phai Nguyen, June 2026
Long before Phai became a data engineer, he was a kid who wanted to build video games. That childhood dream grew into a love of computers and technology that eventually led him into a full-time IT career — using data systems and analytics to solve complex problems across organizations.
He was good at it. But something was missing. People. Connection. The kind of energy that only comes from a room full of humans all working toward the same thing, right now, together.
Having spent nearly a decade working in Chick-fil-A restaurants over the years, returning to the hospitality industry felt less like a detour and more like coming home.
“I chose a second job just for the love of the industry. I keep coming back shift after shift for the guest interactions and building relationships with my fellow employees.”
Two Worlds. Each Making the Other Better.
“My morning job helps me develop problem-solving skills. On the flip side, Chick-fil-A has helped develop leadership skills which I can bring into my morning job.”
Every evening, Phai makes a conscious switch. During the drive over, he mentally shifts from data engineer mode to shift lead mode — pre-planning the night ahead before he even walks through the door. "It's a weird switch going from constant meetings to moving up and about," he says. "But it helps me to be a little active — which is partly another reason I choose to do it."
The two careers don't compete. They feed each other. His tech background taught him to stay calm, assess situations quickly, find solutions under pressure, and think strategically — exactly what a senior shift leader needs when things go sideways. And Chick-fil-A has given him something back: communication skills, emotional intelligence, and the ability to lead people through hard moments.
9:55 PM. Everything Fresh.
9:55 PM. The kitchen doesn't slow down — and neither does Phai
It’s five minutes before close. A guest walks in with a request: everything made fresh.
A lot of people might have looked at the clock.
Phai looked at the opportunity.
He coordinated with the kitchen, timing the fries to drop three minutes into the chicken cooking so everything would come out hot and perfect together. The team moved without hesitation. Nobody complained. Nobody cut corners.
When the guest received his food, he paused. He’d been watching the whole time — noticed the team moving with purpose in the background — and what he said next made the entire shift worth it.
“He explained how grateful he was that I brought everything to freshness — and he even saw the team working diligently in the background while he was waiting. That interaction honestly made my night.”
That’s second-mile service. Not a policy. A choice, made at 9:55 PM on a Friday, when no one would have blamed you for doing less.
The Team behind every "My Pleasure"
Every hand-off is a team effort. Every smile is the point.
From the other side of the counter, it looks effortless: someone hands you a bag, smiles, and says "My pleasure."
What most guests never see is the level of choreography happening behind that moment. Kitchen prep, cooking temperatures, timing, bagging, drink stations, expediters, cashiers, order takers — all moving simultaneously across the dining room and both drive-thru lanes, in five minutes or less.
But ask Phai what makes that team actually run — and he won't talk about systems. He'll talk about people.
One teammate who has stood out is Krista Flemming — young, relatively new to leadership, but with a natural ability to communicate clearly and keep the team moving even during the slow stretches when motivation is hardest to sustain. "Despite not having much leadership experience and being very young, she is able to effectively communicate and urge other employees to continue working during downtime," Phai says.
There are smaller moments, too. Like the time he was training a newer team member on counting the cash drawer. She finished her count of the fives and arrived at a number that wasn't divisible by five. "It gave me a good chuckle," he says. "I think about it every now and then."
The crew behind every 'My Pleasure' — the team that makes it all work.
That's what makes the whole thing work — not just the coordination, but the human moments woven through it. The chuckles at the cash drawer. The young leader who steps up when it counts. The teammates who become friends.
"If I had to step away tomorrow, the biggest thing I would miss is all the people I've met and the friendships I've made."
What the Other Side of the Counter Teaches You
Working in service changes the way you move through the world. For Phai, it has made him more patient, more observant, and more intentional. "It reminds me to always treat others with kindness because I've been on the other end of the counter numerous times," he says. "Those small little interactions can really make someone's day."
Whether you're handing over the bag or reaching for it, people deserve to feel like they matter. It's a lesson he carries into every room he walks into.
“If I had to step away tomorrow, the biggest thing I would miss is all the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made.”
Could This Be Your Story?
If you're wondering whether there's room in your life for something like this — Phai's advice is simple:
"Keep an open mind. Don't focus solely on the paycheck. Consider whether you'll enjoy the work, the people, and the opportunity to grow."
His story shows it's possible to do both — and do both well. If it sounds like something you'd want to be part of, we'd love to meet you.
You Might Be Wondering...
Can you work at Chick-fil-A with full-time job?
Phai does it every week — and he says the two roles make each other better, not harder. If the schedule fits and the team feels right, it's more than doable.
Is Chick-fil-A a good second job?
Ask Phai and he won't hesitate. "Keep an open mind. Don't focus solely on the paycheck." The people, the culture, and the chance to grow make it feel less like a second job and more like a second home.
What does a Chick-fil-A shift leader actually do?
More than you'd think. Shift leaders keep everything moving — coordinating the kitchen, supporting the team, solving problems in real time, and making sure every guest leaves happy. At Chick-fil-A Park, that means two drive-thru lanes, a full dining room, and the occasional 9:55 PM fresh-food request. All at once.
Ready to write your own story? We're always looking for people who show up with heart. Join the team at Chick-fil-A Park Blvd. and see what's possible.