Serving speed and strategy: Local Chick-fil-A spotlights UK’s True Lean impact

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 5, 2026) — Just before noon, the lunch rush begins.

Orders stack up.

Team members move in rhythm behind the counter of a busy Lexington Chick-fil-A — one of the highest-volume restaurants in the region.

For Jeff Stryker, owner of the Nicholasville Road and Turfland locations, growth has always been a welcome challenge — but a challenge nonetheless.

“The business was growing. We were doing a lot of volume, and I was really frustrated with not being able to solve problems,” he said. “I thought, ‘I need to look into Lean.’”

That search led him to the University of Kentucky’s Lean Systems Program (LSP), also known as True Lean, which teaches principles rooted in the Toyota Production System developed by Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America (TMNA).

What followed was more than a layout change.

The redesign improved flow and reduced friction during peak hours. But the more significant transformation came in how the team approached and solved problems.

“Before, our kitchen was L-shaped, which made it harder to have a streamlined workflow,” Mark Laufenburger, executive director of operation at the Nicholasville Road Chik-fil-A, said. “Now, with a straight-line kitchen, we can move products forward more efficiently.”

A Kentucky partnership with global roots

For more than three decades, LSP has helped businesses and organizations across the state meet workflow demands — positioning Kentucky as a national leader in operational excellence by increasing productivity, reducing waste and strengthening workforce engagement, while maintaining quality and competitiveness.

Founded in 1994 through a partnership between the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering and TMNA, the Lean Systems Program is widely recognized as a leading source of Toyota Production System-based education.

Unlike traditional process improvement courses, the program focuses on more than tools and techniques. It emphasizes leadership and culture — teaching professionals how to think critically, solve everyday problems and lead continuous improvement within their organizations.

The program also helps businesses overcome common issues, such as siloed departments, short-term thinking and resistance to change, so continuous improvement becomes part of both daily operations and long-term strategy.

“We don’t teach Lean from a textbook — we teach Lean from experience,” Nelson Akafuah, Ph.D., chair of the Fujio Cho Department of Engineering Technology and director of the Institute of Research for Technology Development, said. “Many of our instructors are former Toyota leaders who have lived and applied the Toyota Production System. They know how to help Kentucky organizations translate those principles into sustainable business results.”

Measurable impact across industries

Since its inception, LSP has trained more than 25,000 professionals in manufacturing, health care, government and service sectors.

Partner organizations report measurable outcomes, including:

• Reduced lead times and improved delivery performance;
• increased productivity and product quality;
• cost savings achieved without layoffs; and
• higher employee engagement and retention.

“Lean is not about doing more with less — it’s about developing people,” Akafuah said. “When organizations invest in their people, both performance and morale grow together.”

Tailored learning for Kentucky organizations

The program offers multiple pathways for organizations at any stage of their Lean journey:

• Lean Systems Certification Program: An immersive, applied learning experience grounded in Toyota Production System principles.
• Executive Leadership Workshops: Focused on strategy deployment, culture building and leading through Gemba.
• On-site custom training: Designed to address specific challenges in manufacturing, health care and service operations.
• Lean coaching partnerships: Long-term mentoring to sustain continuous improvement and leadership development.

Each offering is supported by expert coaches with decades of Toyota and industry experience — ultimately helping businesses build internal capability and long-term resilience.

Full circle: continuous improvement through action

As Kentucky strengthens its advanced manufacturing sector and grows its innovation economy, LSP plays a critical role at the intersection of education, workforce development and industry transformation.

By equipping leaders with the principles of continuous improvement — whether on a factory floor or in a restaurant kitchen — UK is helping build a more competitive, agile and people-centered economy.

Back at Chick-fil-A, the lunch rush still comes every day.

The difference now is how the team responds. Stryker said Lean did more than streamline operations — it strengthened the culture that defines his restaurant.

“The difference between UK True Lean and pretty much any other Lean program I’ve seen is they focus so much on the people side,” he said. “That was important to me, because that’s what we’re known for at Chick-fil-A — engaging people and making the culture better.”

Organizations across the Commonwealth are invited to partner with UK to begin or deepen their Lean education.

For more information, visit truelean.engr.uky.edu.