I just wanted to stop by and thank you for a wonderful dining experience at the Charley’s in Alderwood Mall, Lynnwood, WA (#478). There are a lot of choices at this mall food court and I have never tried Charley’s before. Tonight, I was there with my three year old son who wanted fried rice from the vendor next to the Charley’s. While we were in line for that restaurant, the two friendly gentlemen behind the counter at Charley’s were passing out samples and after tasting the sandwich, my son was hooked and changed his mind.

We ordered a small cheddar turkey melt and Ray let me know that if I bought a large sandwich, I could get the fries and drink for free. What a great deal! I knew I could never eat all of that food – but what fun to have lunch for tomorrow. And while we were placing our order, Ray also gave my son a free packet of Oreos. What a nice extra touch!

When Ray was finished dressing my sandwich, he even went the extra mile to ask if he could wrap up the other half for me “to go” and put the rest on a plate. Just excellent customer service, going the extra mile.

When I brought our tray to the table, laden with food, the ladies next to me (who had happened to purchase their meal from [another sandwich shop]), commented on how great it all looked. I said yes, and I was still so impressed with the customer service and value that I told them about my experience. They were both impressed and said that next time, they would order from Charley’s. I said they certainly should, as I know my food looked way better than what they had – and had cost me less! And my husband had ordered pizza from another vendor. He was jealous of my meal and plans to order his own next time!

After trying my best (and failing – so good, but so much, even with my 3 year old doing his best to help me – he gobbled up a good portion of sandwich, declaring it “delicious”!) to finish all of our meal, I was still thirsty. I returned to the counter and asked Ray how much refills were. He said that they are normally 58 cents with tax, but that he would give me one “on the house” since I seemed like “such a great mom”. I hope I am not getting Ray in trouble for giving away a refill, but can I just tell you, it’s the little things like that which will make me a repeat customer. 58 cents might not seem like a big deal, but free refills, free fries and drink with sandwiches, a free packet of Oreos. . . it made me feel as if I was getting a bargain. And it will also inspire me to tell my friends and family about the great deal and “extras”, and since most of us are on a tight budget, these types of deals WILL make a difference in our food choices.

My entire experience, from first impression to final “Thank you” was excellent. The food was very good, but it was made even better by Ray (and another gentleman behind the counter who made the food, but his name isn’t on my receipt – he was very pleasant as well). Both thanked me multiple times and wished me a good evening with my son.

In this economy, value is very important to a family, especially one on a single income as we are. But customer service is important, too. I just want to commend you on having both, which is a wonderful combination. I hope this comment gets in the right hands and that Ray (and the other gentlemen on staff that night (6/16 at 7:30 PM)) are recognized for their excellent customer service and great attitude. I will definitely be back to this location (and other Charley’s if I come across them) again.

THANK YOU AGAIN!

Katie H. (& Will)

Here at Charley’s we’re always encouraged by the philanthropic work we see from our franchisees. Every year, we continue to be amazed…and this year is certainly no exception. Lori Bagwell, Jim Novak, Monica Severy and Amelia Alexander have gone above and beyond what any of us expected this year!

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When he’s not studying, rock climbing, snowboarding or fine-tuning his skills on the piano, Daniel loves grillin’ up fresh subs for Charley’s fanatics at the the Tuscon Mall in Tuscon, Arizona. (more…)

Joshua is a wonderful member of the Charley’s family at the Westmoreland Mall location in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Joshua graduated from Greensburg Central Catholic High School. Joshua was the Captain of his high school hockey team and a member of the Pittsburgh Junior Penguins traveling hockey team. (more…)

Chelsea graduated this year from Paul G. Blazer High School in Ashland, KY. Chelsea was an Honors Graduate, President of the Key Club and a member of the National Honor Society. (more…)

Diana German is a graduating senior from Glendale Senior High School whose commitment to service is exemplified in the classroom and extends beyond her two years of grillin’ up goodness at Charley’s in the Metro Center Mall in Arizona. (more…)

It’s more than just the food at Charley’s. It’s about our people – customers, franchisees, associates, vendors that help make what we do great. I opened the first Charley’s at age 22 and since then it’s been the little things that have made a big difference: fresh, hot food; great people; the support of my family, and staying true to the strong values that drive the-whole-thing.

As we approach Thanksgiving I want thank to  you for keeping in touch with us on our blog, Facebook and Twitter; for eating in our restaurants; and for sending great ideas to keep making us better.

Last week at the office during a meeting we went around the table and everyone said what they’re grateful for – many of us said family, health and our co-workers. This year has really brought us all back to our essence, to our core values, to what matters most – taking care of people and making great food.

What are you thankful for this year? We hope that during a trying year for all of us you’ve been able to reflect on some of the little things in your life that bring you joy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Charley

“I had someone come to work for Charley’s who had previously been with another QSR [quick service restaurant] concept. This person was shaking and sweating because they were used to seeing a frozen burger run through a chain broiler for 2 minutes and drop into a bin for 1 hour. Now, they had a hot plate of steel in front of them, fresh ingredients and less than 90 seconds with a customer staring at them. Little different, huh?” (more…)

The Vitals: Ben LaPlaca – Creative Director: Charley’s Grilled Subs

Ben has been with the company for 2.5 years and consulted for 6 months prior to that

Ben has a degree in illustration with a minor in graphic design. (more…)