Where does the “A” in Chick-fil-A come from? (2024)
Learn the story behind our name.
Few people know that the name Chick-fil-A is both a fun play on words and a promise. The capital ‘A’ stands for Grade A top quality, and it feeds into everything we do.
It all began with our founder, S. Truett Cathy, naming his restaurants after his famous signature Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich (also known as the Original Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich).
“Chick” to represent our juicy chicken, and “fil-A” as a play on the word “filet” – with a small twist. He replaced “et” with “A” to represent the “Grade-A” quality of our chicken.
While some aspects of our restaurants have changed over the years, that commitment to quality has never wavered. From focusing on fresh ingredients to serving guests with a smile and a “my pleasure” – it’s what we deliver every time you eat with us.
This starts with quality ingredients. Did you know? Produce is delivered fresh to our restaurant kitchens up to six times a week. Our salads are prepared fresh daily, and the chicken we use to make our sandwiches, strips and nuggets is always breaded by hand (it never comes to us pre-breaded or needs to be reheated).
It’s also about our rigorous cleanliness and safety standards. Operators and Team Members pay special attention to detail when it comes to preparing, packaging, and serving every meal – inside and outside of the restaurants.
Together with the “Grade-A” quality of our food, the “A” stands for going “Above” and beyond to always show you our “A-game” and bring you our best every day.
It all began with our founder, S. Truett Cathy, naming his restaurants after his famous signature Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich (also known as the Original Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich). “Chick” to represent our juicy chicken, and “fil-A” as a play on the word “filet” – with a small twist.
Did you know the “A” in Chick-fil-A® stands for high quality? Here's why. The produce we use in our recipes – from chopped apples, to fresh lettuce and tomatoes – is delivered to our restaurants up to six times a week for the best quality and flavor.
One day when Truett was staying at a hotel, an employee responded to his thanks with a sincere “my pleasure.” The memory of that interaction, and the way it made Truett feel, stayed with him. Returning home, he encouraged his team to respond with “my pleasure” whenever a customer said thank you.
Over the years, “my pleasure” has become much more than a phrase – it embodies Chick-fil-A's commitment of creating remarkable experiences, one interaction at a time.
The chicken chain introduced cows and the message 'Eat mor Chikin' on a billboard in 1995. It's been so successful that Chick-fil-A has stuck with the campaign ever since. The cow campaign plays off the idea that cows want people to eat more chicken so they will in turn not be eaten.
Team Member. Focused on giving each customer a great experience, restaurant Team Members can offer service and hospitality everywhere in the restaurant, including front and back of house and in the drive-thru.
When it comes to Chick-fil-A, their waffle fries cannot be beat. The crispy potato treats have been the fast-food chain's most popular menu item for years—and for good reason! That deep-fried side is downright delicious.
Being a Chick-fil-A® Franchisee is a life investment
Chick-fil-A® Franchisees help continue the legacy that began with our founder Truett Cathy to be a positive influence on the people and communities we serve.
The Real Reason Chick-fil-A Employees Won't Say "You're Welcome" The "my pleasure" policy is an important, though unofficial, part of the chicken giant's company culture. Meghan Overdeep has more than a decade of writing and editing experience for top publications.
What is Chick-fil-A's slogan? In 1995, a pair of rebel cows first painted the words “Eat Mor Chikin” on an Atlanta, Georgia, billboard. Since then, the boisterous bovines have found creative ways to use the slogan to encourage humans to eat chicken (and not beef).
But two decades ago, Chick-fil-A borrowed a tactic from The Ritz-Carlton that would become a central element of its brand culture: Employees replying to customers who thank them by saying “my pleasure,” instead of “you're welcome” or “no problem.”
According to the company's website, "Chick-fil-A" is "a fun play on words and a promise." The "Chick" in Chick-fil-A comes from the word "chicken," while the "fil-A" both stands in for "filet" and is stylized specifically to emphasize the "Grade-A" quality of the chicken used in their menu items.
Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant in 1946, The Dwarf Grill – later renamed the Dwarf House – in Hapeville, Georgia, and developed the pressure-cooked chicken breast sandwich there.
The name Chick-fil-A was actually what Cathy thought up as the name for his original chicken sandwich. Four years later, it would be the name of the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in 1967, and every restaurant across the U.S. moving forward.
The "fil" in Chick-fil-A was originally spelled "fill" (and play on 'chicken fillet') but was eventually changed to what we see today. Another cool tidbit is that the capital 'A' in Chick-fil-A stands for "grade A" quality. So, there you have it.
The original logo – reading “Chick-fill-a” – is a play on words of a Grade A chicken fillet sandwich. This was intentional as the original name of the sandwich was the “chicken steak sandwich,” which did not last long.
The first Chick-fil-A was opened in 1957, their original logo was Doodles the rooster. Over time, he was generally dropped & in the mid-90's the super-awesome cows came to be their mascots (created by art director David Ring at the Richards Group out of Dallas, check here for a story.)
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