UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (PIX11) — Chick-fil-A is set to open a resting space for delivery workers on the Upper East Side on Thursday, the company announced.
The Brake Room, located on Third Avenue between East 83rd Street and East 84th Street, will be open for two months, Monday through Saturday. Like Chick-fil-A, it will be closed on Sundays.
Delivery workers can enter from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m by showing proof of a delivery within the past week via an eligible third-party food delivery app. There will be bathrooms, bike storage, phone store, seating, Wi-Fi and drinks, according to Chick-fil-A.
Jared Caldwell, who owns and operated a Chick-fil-A on the Upper East Side, explained The Brake Room is a way of showing appreciation for delivery workers.
“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,” Caldwell said.
There are an estimated 65,000 delivery workers in New York City. Mayor Eric Adams, together with Sen. Chuck Schumer, announced plans in October of 2022 to launch “deliveristas hubs” for delivery workers. His plan calls for the use of existing infrastructure, such as vacant newsstands.
“Deliveristas are out there doing the hard work, day in and day out, and are essential to New Yorkers’ way of life and to our city’s economy, and essential workers deserve essential services,” Adams said when he announced his plan. “While most people have a break room to rest while at work, app-based food delivery workers do not.”
