Chick-fil-A (pronounced 1) is a restaurant chain headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that specializes in chicken entrees. It is the second-biggest chicken-based fast-food chain in the United States. The chain is associated with the southern United States, but it has in recent years been expanding into the Rocky Mountains, the southwest and the midwest. , the chain has over 1,300 locations in 37 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. It is distinct among fast-food chains in that its stores are closed on Sundays.

History

Chick-fil-A has historically been most closely identified with shopping malls, as the majority of its first locations were in malls. However, in recent years, most of its growth has been in freestanding units with sit-down and drive-through service; as of October 2007, the chain has over 700 freestanding units. It also has drive-through-only locations and has placed its restaurants in universities, hospitals, and airports through licensing agreements.

Chick-fil-A achieved quite a bit of notability in October 2003, when it was publicly announced in a major ad campaign that a new store, opening in Goodyear, Arizona, on October 16, 2003, would offer, to the first 100 to enter its doors, coupons for a free combo meal every week for a year. Along with this promotion (which was widely featured on the Internet), the company threw a huge opening day carnival, complete with karaoke, free ice cream, klieg lights, and prize raffles. The "First 100" promotion is now held at the opening of every new Chick-fil-A restaurant, with people camping out for up to several days before the opening to guarantee their place in line. Chick-fil-A openings have created quite a fan base, even inspiring such websites as the Chicken Pack, a forum and general meeting place for Chick-fil-A opening fans. Other groups, such as The Herd based out of Knoxville, TN, strive to attend as many grand openings as possible.

Since 1997, the Atlanta-based company has been the title sponsor of the Peach Bowl, an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta. Beginning in the 2006 season, the Peach Bowl became the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Chick-fil-A also is a key sponsor of the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 conferences of college athletics.

Menu items

EAT MOR CHIKIN and the Chick-fil-A Cows

"EAT MOR CHIKIN" is the chain's most prominent advertising slogan, created by The Richards Group. The slogan is often seen in advertisements featuring sign-wearing cows. According to Chick-fil-A's advertising strategies, the cows have united in an effort to reform American food, in an effort to reduce the amount of beef which is eaten. They wish the American public to refrain from eating beef burgers, common at Chick-fil-A's competitors, such as McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's, and instead focus on eating chicken, or "chikin" as the cows spell it. The ad campaign was temporarily halted during a mad cow disease scare in late 2003/early 2004 so as not to make the chain seem insensitive or appear to be taking advantage of the scare to increase its sales. A few months later, the cows were put up again. The cows replaced the chain's old mascot, Doodles, an anthropomorphized chicken who still appears as the C on the logo.