Chick-fil-A in Kinston, located at 4499 Us Highway 70 W, has opened its dining room doors with limited capacity after being shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 6:30 AM to 10:00 PM and closed on Sunday.

“We are very excited,” said John McPhaul, owner.

Despite the dining area being closed, Chick-fil-A has catered to their customers with a drive-thru designed to minimize the impacts on their patron’s time.

"I feel very comfortable. I feel like I can do it and I am going to show my fellow team members how to run the dining room," said employee Anna Kate.

In March, Governor Cooper lifted the capacity restrictions on restaurants due to COVID-19. In order to allow time for staff to adjust to both indoor and drive-thru capabilities, Chick-fil-A has reduced its indoor capacity.

"We are currently at 50% capacity inside, but we will let everyone know when we are back at 100%," said McPhaul.

Chick-fil-A prides itself on a comfortable environment to enjoy its food. Locals have taken to social media to share the reopened dining status. Chick-fil-A is using this time as a soft opening to train as a majority of their staff has not taken orders from guests on the inside.

"We are hoping to have a grand opening very soon and will announce that as soon as we know," said McPhaul.