Chick-fi l-A Dwarf House

Chick-Fil-A Dwarf House By Kristel Rodriguez Peacock

Hapeville’s own Chick-fil-A Dwarf House is now reopened. After nine months of hard work and anticipation, the renovated space now offers a full-service dining room, drive-thru with increased capacity, and mobile order pick-up area for added convenience. While the restaurant has a new, modern feel and its capacity has doubled, many of the restaurant’s iconic elements and menu remain unchanged. Read on as we open the “Little Red Door” to everything The renovated, Chick-fil-A Dwarf House has to offer. Upon arrival to The Dwarf House, guests are greeted by the statue of Chick-fil-A Founder S. Truett Cathy. Truett founded The Dwarf House in 1946. When it first opened its doors, The Dwarf House had a total of four booths and 10 stools earning it the name The Dwarf Grill because of its small size. These stools and booths are honored and memorialized in the restaurant’s outdoor pavilion that also offers a play area for children. According to the renovation’s lead designer Jenn Allstun, “staying true to the original and preserving space while paying homage” to the restaurant’s history was an integral part of the renovation. She wanted the design to be inclusive to those who already frequent the restaurant and to those who have yet to discover it. She encourages guests to “visit more than once and to take a tour because there is a lot to see.” Allstun says, “It is an experience like no other,” and that the only thing she would change about the renovation is that she wishes the “reopening could have happened sooner.” However, like the Chick-fil-A sandwich recipe, the renovation could not be rushed. The attention to detailis noticeable. One wall features pictures of about 2,500 Chick-fil-A stores that combine to create a largerimage of The Dwarf House. The menu panel board in the diner shows dates next to the menu items instead

Entrance of Dwarf House

of prices. The blue dots next to certain items highlight items on Truett’s original menu. Some of these items include the famous “hot brown” (chicken mixed with cream sauce, cheese and bacon),hamburgers, coleslaw and lemon pie. In the diner, guests will notice that the booths are labeled with the names of long-time servers to paytribute to them. Similarly, Zelma’s Pie Shop is aptly named after long-time pie chef, Zelma Calhoun. Manyof the items within the restaurant are reclaimed and repurposed. This gives the restaurant its modernfeel without sacrificing its original charm. For example, the lanterns that used to light the diner’s boothsnow hang in the vestibule next to Zelma’s Pie Shop.

Counter Seating

Fifteen bronze dwarves can be found throughout the restaurant. Each one holds an item that payshomage to a beloved Cathy family member or long-time team member. Zelma’s dwarf, for instance, holds a mixing bowl which alludes to Zelma’s contribution making and serving pies for over forty years. The bronze statues are not the only dwarves in the building. The moving mural that showcases dwarves carrying an empty bag into a cave and exiting with a full bag was also preserved after being in the restaurant for many years. Outside are 4 globes of varying sizes. One is 46 centimeters in diameter, the next is 57 centimeters, the next is 67 centimeters, and the last is 122 centimeters in diameter. The sizes of each globe align with a renovation year. These globes and years mark pivotal stages of growth in The Dwarf House lifecycle. 1946marks the restaurant’s opening, 1957 marks the year a chimney and porch were added, 1967 marks theyear a larger store with a red roof and the little red door were added, and 2022 marks the most recentrenovation. Details like the sizing of the globes are intentional and once again pay tribute to everythingthat happened to make The Dwarf House what it is today. Over 500 hours of research including interviews with customers went into the preparation for therenovation. The interviews and customers’ stories are one of the key components of The Dwarf House’shistory. The story of Truett asking his regulars to taste test his chicken sandwich recipe until it wasperfected still echoes throughout the restaurant. On the restaurant’s actual walls are the stories of patrons who share the memories of their experiences at Chick-fil-A. The Dwarf House’s General Manager, Kevin Moss, shared that his favorite memory at Chick-fil-A was working with Truett himself and watching how he interacted with the customers. “He spoke to every customer and every customer was important,” said Moss. He went on to say, “Truett was committed to this restaurant and this community.” Like Truett, Moss is also committed to The Dwarf House where he has been for over 25 years. He continues Truett’s legacy of making customers feel important and is quick to offer a seat at his favorite booth. With its irresistible food and proximity to the airport, The tiny but mighty Dwarf Grill grew into The Dwarf House it is known as today. Now with its updated features, The Dwarf House is fully equipped to provide an even better dining experience for customers. With so many sights and history, be sure to make time to look around and take a tour while you “Eat Mor Chikin”. The Dwarf House is located at 461 N Central Avenue and is open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday with tours happening multiple times throughout the day. For the latest updates on The Dwarf House, visit the restaurant’s website or Facebook page.