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{{Infobox company
| name = Chick-fil-A
| company_logo = ]
| type = ]
| foundation = 1946 (first Dwarf House opened in ])<br>1967 (first Chick-fil-A opened in ])
| location = ], U.S.
| key_people = ''']'''<br>Owner<br>'''Dan Cathy'''<br>President
| revenue = {{profit}}$3.0 billion ]&nbsp;(2009)
| owner = ]
| industry = ]
| products = ]es, ]
}}

'''Chick-fil-A''' is a ] headquartered in ], ], ] that specializes in ] ]s.<ref>"." ''Chick-fil-A''. Retrieved on May 19, 2009.</ref><ref>"." ]. Retrieved on May 25, 2009.</ref><!--Check the address--> It is the second-largest chicken-based fast-food chain in the United States (behind ]).

Though long associated with the ], the chain has expanded into much of the nation (see map below). {{As of|2009|December}}, the chain has over 1,600 locations in 38 ]s and the ].

Famous for being ], in a interview with ], Dan Cathy (son of company owner ]) told ]; "He wanted himself and his employees to spend time with family and worship."

]]]
], ]]]
] in ], Texas]]
]
]

==History==
{{Refimprove|section|date=May 2009}}
Chick-fil-A had historically been identified with ]s, as the majority of its first locations were in their food courts. However, the first freestanding location was opened in 1986, and most new store openings today are as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chickfila.com/?#history |title=Chick-fil-A |publisher=Chick-fil-A |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref> This is emphasized by the fact that the chain now has over 800 such units.<ref name="chickfila.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.chickfila.com/?#facts |title=Chick-fil-A |publisher=Chick-fil-A |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref> It also has over two dozen ]-only locations.<ref name="chickfila.com"/> There are also restaurants in universities, hospitals, and airports through licensing agreements.<ref name="chickfila.com"/>

The chain grew from the Dwarf Grill (later the ], a name still used by the chain), a restaurant opened by ], who is still the company's chairman, in the Atlanta suburb of ] in 1946.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chickfila.com/?#story |title=Chick-fil-A |publisher=Chick-fil-A |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref> This restaurant is located near the now demolished Ford plant, where workers once caught meals between shifts. The first Chick-fil-A opened in a mall was established in Atlanta's ] in 1967. The company claims that their current slogan, ''"We Didn't Invent the Chicken, Just the Chicken Sandwich,"'' is based on a true story: at a time when hamburgers dominated fast-food menus since the beginning, Cathy was credited with creating and inventing the ], which went on to be Chick-fil-A's flagship menu item. His big idea for the chicken sandwich stemmed from the idea of creating a quick way to serve food. He discovered that ] the chicken in ] allowed for a fast serving time. The sandwich also comes with two ] simply because that was the only condiment he had on hand when the sandwich was created.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

Chick-fil-A achieved quite a bit of notability in October 2003, when it was publicly announced in a major ] that a new store, opening in ], 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 ], complete with ], free ], ]s, and prize ]s. 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.

Since 1997, the Atlanta-based company has been the title sponsor of the Peach Bowl, an annual ] bowl game played in Atlanta. Beginning in the 2006 season, the Peach Bowl became the ]. Chick-fil-A also is a key sponsor of the ], ], and ] conferences of college athletics.<ref>{{cite news|author=Marilyn Odesser-Torpey|title=Reaching Out to NASCAR Nation|publisher=QSR|url=http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/features/97/nascar-2.phtml}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Chick-fil-A, Dr Pepper Give Fans a Million Reasons to 'Eat Mor Chikin'|publisher=SEC Sports News|url=http://www.secsports.com/news/default.aspx?ArticleId=6230}}</ref>

"EAT MOR CHIKIN" is the chain's most prominent advertising slogan, created by ]. The slogan is often seen in advertisements featuring sign-wearing cows. According to Chick-fil-A's ] strategies, the cows have united in an effort to reform ] food, in an effort to reduce the amount of ] which is eaten. They wish the American public to refrain from eating beef ]s, common at Chick-fil-A's competitors, such as ], ], and ], and instead focus on eating chicken, or "chikin" as the cows spell it. The ad campaign was temporarily halted during a ] 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 ] chicken<ref>{{cite news| author=Joe Guy Collier|title=Dress-as-a-cow day reflects Chick-fil-A's 'have fun' culture|publisher=]|date=2008-07-09|url=http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2008/07/09/chickfila_cow_day.html}}</ref> who still appears as the C on the logo.

Occasionally, in their television commercials, the cows "take matters into their own hooves" and become somewhat combative in their efforts to get people to "EAT MOR CHIKIN." One recent Chick-fil-A commercial featured a cow jumping on top of a passing minivan and stealing the occupants' sack of fast-food burgers, much to the shock of a very young boy (whose parents, seated in the front seat, were completely oblivious). The company's TV ad for 2006 featured bovines parachuting onto a football field during a college football game, complete with "EAT MOR CHIKIN" banners, and attacking the hamburger vendor.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

Sometimes these billboards incorporate a little bit of ] or local inside jokes. One such example showed up in ], during 2003. The billboard was located along ] in the ] and featured an orange (instead of white) background with traffic cones and a cow wearing a safety vest. The text on the billboard read, "CHIKIN ZONE NEXT 3000 MILES," a reference to the lengthy and expensive construction projects that have been the bane of Knoxville motorists since the early 1970s.

Another billboard, located along southbound ] on the north side of ], featured a cow dressed as ] from '']'' and the text, "Welcome to Atlanta, where it's proppa to eat chikin."{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

Another billboard, visible on ] northbound, somewhere south of Atlanta, depicts the words "This space for..." with the word "rent" scratched out and replaced with "CHIKIN", as well as a toll-free number that when dialed, directs callers to a recorded message of a man. The man greets you and says that "You have reached the "Bovine Chikin Chatline"". The man goes on to talk about different "bulls" and "heifers" that you can "get to know". Then the man goes on to talk about the cows interests and hobbies, including one whose pet peeves include, "cow tipping and the color red". It is obvious throughout the whole recording that the entire thing is for amusement only. Within the recording, he claims that a bull "loves people who eat chicken, and the folks at Chick-fil-A". In the closing line of the recording, the man encourages the caller to "hang up, and grab some chicken now".<ref>{{cite web|author=Ginny Skal|date=April 13, 2009|title=New Chick-fil-A Billboard Misses Chance to Connect|url=http://www.thatisbeautiful.net/2009/04/13/new-chick-fil-a-billboard-misses-chance-to-connect/comment-page-1/}}</ref>

Chick-fil-A has also used a billboard that simply states, "We do chicken left." This was to indicate that the restaurant could be found by taking a left off the interstate exit, but was also a play on the former Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan, "We do chicken right." In addition, as part of a sponsorship deal with the ], the company placed a giant {{convert|40|ft|m}}, {{convert|15,000|lb|kg}} "tomahawk chopping" cow at the Braves' home field, ].

The company also produces annual ]-bearing "cow ]s" every year, featuring bovines in various parodies that have included "The Cow Channel" (2003), "Cow Superheroes" (2004), "Secret Agent Cows" (2005), "Cows in Shining Armor" (2006), "The Good, The Bad, and the Hairy" (2007), "One-Hit Wonder Cows" (2008), "The Bovines in Blue" (2009), and "Great Works of Cow Literature" (2010).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS201457+29-Oct-2009+PRN20091029 |title=Chick-fil-A Cows Spoof Literature Classics for 2010 Calendar |publisher=Reuters |date= 2009-10-29|accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref>

==Chick-fil-A Classic==
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2009}}
The Chick-fil-A Classic is a high school ] tournament held in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chick-fil-aclassic.com/ |title=Welcome to 8th Annual Chick-Fil-A Classic.com |publisher=Chick-fil-aclassic.com |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref> The tournament is in its eighth year of operation and features nationally ranked players and teams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chick-fil-aclassic.com/gceaf.shtml |title=GCEAF |publisher=Chick-Fil-A Classic |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref> The tournament is co-sponsored by the Greater Columbia Educational Advancement Foundation (GCEAF) which provides scholarships to high school seniors in the greater Columbia area.

==Dwarf House==
The Chick-fil-A Dwarf Houses are a full-service variation of the typical Chick-fil-A restaurant.<ref name="chickfila.com"/> In addition to the full-service dining area, Dwarf Houses also have the normal fast-food service area as well as a ]. The menu at a Dwarf House is similar to the standard menu, but also features steakburgers and/or ]s, as well as deep-fried pies, in flavors such as peach, apple, and sweet potato.

The Chick-fil-A Dwarf House has a "]-sized" front door that children and some little people can use to enter.

The original Dwarf House in ], ], is open 24 hours a day, six days a week. It closes at 4:00 AM Sunday morning, and re-opens at 6:00 AM on Monday. It has a larger dine-in menu than the other Dwarf House locations and it has a seven dwarfs display in the back of the restaurant.

==Truett's Grill==
In 1996, the first Truett's Grill was opened in ]. The second location opened in 2003 in ], and a third location opened in 2006 in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truettsgrill.com/ |title=Truett's Grill |publisher=Truettsgrill.com |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref> Similar to the Chick-fil-A Dwarf Houses, these independently owned restaurants offer traditional, sit-down dining and expanded menu selections in a diner-themed atmosphere.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfarestaurant.com/truettsgrill-griffin/home |title=Chick-fil-A: Truett's Grill - Griffin |publisher=Cfarestaurant.com |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfarestaurant.com/truettsgrill-mcdonough/home |title=Chick-fil-A: Truett's Grill - McDonough |publisher=Cfarestaurant.com |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfarestaurant.com/truettsgrillmorrow/home |title=Chick-fil-A: Truett's Grill - Morrow |publisher=Cfarestaurant.com |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref>

==Religious connections==
Chick-fil-A founder ] is a devout Christian who has taught Sunday School for over 51 years and whose religious beliefs permeate the company to this day. The company's official ] says that the business exists "to glorify ] by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A." The chain invests heavily in ]s (especially for children and teenagers) and ]s. Cathy's beliefs are also responsible for one of the chain's distinctive features: All Chick-fil-A locations (company-owned and franchised, whether in a mall or freestanding) are ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chickfila.com/?#faqs |title=Chick-fil-A |publisher=Chick-fil-A |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref>

{{cquotetxt|Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and directing our attention to things more important than our business. If it took seven days to make a living with a restaurant, then we needed to be in some other line of work. Through the years, I have never wavered from that position.|S. Truett Cathy <ref>"." S Truett Cathy. Retrieved on May 26, 2009.</ref>}}

Chick-fil-A has promoted religious groups via toys and CDs included in children's meals, much as movie studios promote new movies via McDonald's ] toys. These have ranged from including toys from the Christian television series ] in children's meals to including ''Financial Peace for Kids'' children's books by Christian financial guru ] and CDs from the Christian radio program ],<ref name="adventuresinodyssey">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalpraise.com/pr/10172005.html|title=Focus on the Family, Digital Praise Spice Up Chick-fil-A Kid's Meals Through 'Adventures In Odyssey' CD Giveaway}}</ref> as children's meal incentives. The last show mentioned is produced by the radio division of ], and typically heard on Christian radio stations.



Chick-fil-A and Focus on the Family also have a history of cross-promotion. Chick-fil-A has also sponsored meetings by the group ]; All Pro Dad is a group with affiliations with ] <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.familyfirst.net/pressroom/kits/ |title=Press Kits |publisher=Family First |date= |accessdate=2010-06-18}}</ref> a non-profit organization based out of Tampa, Florida started by ] and ].
Chick-fil-A has also directly sponsored other religious campaigns. One of the groups sponsored by Chick-fil-A is ], a sports missionary arm of the ].{{citation needed|date=September 2010}}

Another link between Chick-fil-A and religious groups includes promotion of ]. S. Truett Cathy is the chair of the National Bible Week Committee.{{citation needed|date=September 2010}}

Truett Cathy is also heavily involved in the ] Foundation, a non-profit organization which was started in 1984 with its goal to "shape winners" by offering summer camps, retreats, foster care, and other services.{{citation needed|date=September 2010}}

In New Jersey, they give support to .

Chick-fil-A's connection to Christianity has been brought before the courts when Aziz Latif, a Houston-based Muslim employee for 6 years, sued the company in 2002 for firing him, alleging that he was fired for his religious beliefs when he had refused to take part in an employee prayer.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_44_36/ai_94131554 | work=Nation's Restaurant News | title=Muslim sues Chick-fil-A over on-the-job prayer | first=Ron | last=Ruggless | year=2002}}</ref> The suit was settled on undisclosed terms.<ref></ref>

Chick-fil-A received prime ] in the 2008 Christian-themed film '']'', in a scene in which the main character, working to save his troubled marriage, soothes his wife with the company's chicken noodle soup.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}

==Current products==
{{unreferenced-section|date=August 2010}}
Chick-fil-A's menu includes the classic chicken sandwich as well as a deluxe version, 8 and 12 nugget entrees and combos, 3 and 4 chicken strip entrees and combos, cool wraps, chicken salad sandwiches, chargrilled chicken sandwiches, as well as grilled/fried chicken salads. They also serve lemon pie, ice cream, hand-spun milk shakes, fudge nut brownies, fruit cups, and their own brand of lemonade. A kids' meal includes 4 or 6-count nuggets or a 1 or 2-count chicken strips, with choice of waffle fries or a fruit cup. On their breakfast menu, they feature chicken biscuit variations including a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit; as well as mini chicken bite biscuits. On June 7, 2010, Chick-fil-A released the spicy chicken sandwich and spicy chicken deluxe sandwich.

==References==
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==External links==
{{Portal box|Atlanta|Companies|Food}}
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{{Establishments serving chicken}}
{{fast food restaurants}}
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Revision as of 20:04, 10 September 2010

Hey Gary King Block Me You Big Bully Rabbit Italic text