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Mount Pleasant

Chick-fil-A Manager Assists with COVID-19 Vaccine Line in Mount Pleasant

It cannot be denied – the efficiency of Chick-fil-A’s drive-thru line is unmatched. 

In an effort to streamline the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie called on Chick-fil-A manager Jerry Walkowiak to help organize and streamline the distribution of the vaccine in his city.

On January 22nd, Walkowiak came out to the drive-thru vaccination clinic, which was housed in the Seacoast Church parking lot, to direct traffic – an effort that shrank the vaccine wait time from over an hour to a mere 15 minutes.

Mayor Haynie tweeted a video of Walkowiak directing traffic and was shocked by the response. Haynie said, “It just went everywhere. You would think the story would be that we’re not only blessed to have the vaccine before many people get it, but you can get it in a drive-thru line from the comfort of your car. But no, the story is that the people who sell chicken sandwiches were running that line.” 

Officials hope to continue to use the experience and expertise of others to help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine. 

News

City of Charleston Extends Outdoor Dining For Another Year

The City of Charleston recently voted to approve the extension of outdoor dining through January of 2022.

Charleston City Council approved the new ordinance, which allows restaurants to expand their outdoor dining areas onto private and public property. The tourism and hospitality industry has certainly been hit hard by the pandemic so officials are hoping this provides some aid to restaurants and restaurant workers as they navigate this difficult time.

This move comes in the wake of a push from some South Carolina lawmakers to get restaurant workers vaccinated as soon as possible.

South Carolina Representative JA Moore introduced a concurrent resolution to “intensify efforts to restore the state’s hospitality industry by prioritizing hospitality workers in COVID-19 testing and including hospitality workers in Phase 1A of this state’s vaccine distribution plan.”

As a former hospitality worker himself, Moore explained the need to vaccinate restaurant workers saying, “We have so many men and women in our industry who have been risking their lives to feed people in South Carolina, so I think it’s important we protect them.”

Currently, restaurant workers are in Phase 1C of the vaccination rollout plan.