Slim Chickens to halt dine in service in Northwest Arkansas

Local chain Slim Chickens will halt dine in service Wednesday at its Northwest Arkansas restaurants due to concerns about the coronavirus.

"The health and safety of our employees, families and the communities we serve is our top priority," said co-founder and chief executive officer Tom Gordon. "We're proceeding with great caution as we continue to navigate this unprecedented period and doing our part to mitigate the spread."

Eight locations in the region will be open for carryout, curbside pickup and drive through service only, including Fayetteville stores at North College Avenue, Joyce Boulevard, Wedington Drive, and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the Springdale store on Sunset Avenue, the Rogers store at Promenade Boulevard, the Bentonville store at Eagle Way and a Fort Smith store on Phoenix Avenue.

The restaurants will test new features of its mobile application designed to make it easier to order online and pickup food next month, according to a news release.

"We're fortunate to be in a position to function without the use of our dining rooms efficiently and effectively," Gordon said.

The company began new cleaning measures like checking the temperatures of its employees, requiring hand washing by employees every 20 minutes and mandating masks and gloves for its workers at the the beginning of the pandemic, according to the release.

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