As one of the giant chicken sandwich fast-food chains in America, Chick-Fil-A has had a successful journey since its foundation.
As such, most customers have been interested to know Chick-Fil-A’s interesting facts and statistics. Well, here’s all you need to know!
Chick-Fil-A Statistics In [currentyear]
- Chick-fil-A is among the largest restaurant chain in the US, with over $12.8 billion in sales.
- Chick-fil-A has experienced remarkable growth trends, recording annual growth of 15% between 2010 and 2018, during which the whole restaurant industry only grew by 3.4%.
- Chick-fil-A’s existence has led to a substantial decline in Subway stores (the market share dropped from 12% to 8%).
- With store sales of approximately $4.58 million, Chick-Fil-A generates more sales per store than any large fast-food restaurant in the United States.
- Since Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sundays, the company forgoes approximately $1 billion in sales on these days.
Apart from these critical statistics, below are some interesting facts about Chick-fil-A!
1. Dwarf House Gave Birth To Chick-Fil-A
Before Chick-Fil-A, Cathy, the founder, had started Dwarf House, mainly focusing on the hamburgers and steaks menu.
Two decades later, Cathy used the same recipe to create the now-iconic fast-food store Chick-Fil-A.
Over the years, Dwarf House expanded into 12 restaurants that still exist.
2. It Was Officially Founded In 1967
After establishing Dwarf House, Cathy proceeded and opened the first-ever Chick-Fil-A in 1967 in Atlanta.
3. Chick-Fil-A’s Founder Popularized The Chicken Sandwich
With the transformation of Dwarf House to Chick-Fil-A, Cathy started to popularize chicken sandwiches as the restaurant’s signature dish.
That said, he would source chicken from one of the local poultry farmers capable of producing enough chicken breast Cathy needed.
Cathy, therefore, developed the best method of making the chicken sandwich that became a new lunch option for his patrons.
4. The Meaning Of “A” In Chick-Fil-A
The letter “A” that appears at the end of Chick-Fil-A means “Grade A.” With that, Cathy included the letter to the restaurant name to symbolize top-quality.
5. Chick-Fil-A Restaurants Are Closed On Sundays
According to Chick-Fil-A’s website, Cathy decided to have the restaurants closed on Sundays. Further, he made this decision in 1946 when Dwarf House was founded.
Moreover, he underscores the importance of having a day off from the office to allow him and his employees to rest and engage in any religious activities.
Eventually, this trend became the tradition of the company to date.
6. The First 100 Customers At A New Chick-Fil-A Restaurant Get Free Chick-Fil-A For A Year
The strategy is commonly known as the “First 100 Campout”.
For example, at any new location set to be opened by Chick-Fil-A, the chicken lovers come out in large numbers a day before the primary day and camp for the gift.
Essentially, Chick-Fil-A uses this strategy to market and builds traffic for the news outlets.
7. Only Three States Don’t Have A Chick-Fil-Restaurant
Chick-Fil-A covers Washington DC and other 47 states in the US, making it one of the largest fast food in the US.
That said, only three states, namely Alaska, Hawaii, and Vermont, do not host Chick-Fil-A.
8. It Has One Hawaiian-Themed Restaurant
Chick-Fil-A has the largest Hawaiian-inspired restaurant known as Truett’s Luau, located in Fayetteville, Georgia, with a measurement of 8,000-square-feet.
At this restaurant, Chick-Fil-A offers seafood, pork, and chicken.
9. Opening A Chick-Fil-A Franchise Is Cheap
To become a fast-food franchiser with Chick-Fil-A, the starting capital required is ,000.
Also, Chick-Fil-A provides financial support by paying for all startup costs, such as actual construction and restaurant equipment.
10. It Is Extremely Competitive To Become A Chick-Fil-A Franchisee
Despite its low opening cost, the competition is stiff among the applicants. For example, Chick-Fil-A receives over 20,000 applicants annually and only chooses 75 to 80 applicants.
Moreover, Business Insider indicates that an applicant has less than a 1% chance of having a successful application and ultimately becoming a Chick-Fil-A franchise.
11. It’s The Largest Buyer Of Sunkist Lemon In The World
In 2014, Chick-Fil-A purchased over 250 million lemons to prepare 120 million cups of lemonade served to its customers.
Over the years, a press release indicates that Chick-Fil-A has been ranked as the highest buyer of Sunkist’s lemons exceeding other countries such as Japan.
12. Chick-Fil-A Is The Largest Buyer Of Peanut Oil In The Country
Apart from being ranked as the most significant buyer of Sunkist lemons, Chick-Fil-A has also emerged as the major domestic buyer of peanut oil in the entire country.
That said, peanut oil is one of the primary ingredients in making crunchy, delicious chicken sandwiches.
According to a press release, Chick-Fil-A’s culinary senior manager once revealed peanut oil as the secret behind the spicy chicken sandwich terming it nearly impossible to imitate.
13. Its Waffle Potato Fries Are The Best-Selling Product
In sharp contrast to what Chick-Fil-A is known for (chicken sandwiches), waffle fries turn out to be the most ordered menu.
That said, the unique shape of the fries elevates the product to high levels of consumption.
14. Its Grilled Nuggets Took Seven Years and $50 Million To Create
Developing the best recipe for grilled nuggets took Chick-Fil-A a lot of time and money.
For example, records indicate that the whole process took Chick-Fil-A scientists seven years and $50 million to craft and finalize.
15. Chick-Fil-A Makes More Money Per Restaurant Than Any Other Fast-Food Chain
According to data from QSR Magazine, in 2017, the average sales per restaurant were close to $4 million higher than McDonald’s (average of $2.6 million).
As you can see, Chick-Fil-A thrives in the competitive market due to its popularity worldwide. Hence, the company has consistently recorded the highest sales in all its restaurants.
16. It Has A Secret Menu
As a tradition in most major fast-food chains, Chick-Fil-A serves its top-secret menu composed of double-decker sandwiches, cheese fries, a chicken quesadilla, lettuce-wrapped, and more.
17. Chick-Fil-A Has A Location Inside A Football Stadium
The Chick-Fil-A located inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium remains open during the week except for Sundays when the restaurants are closed.
According to Chick-Fil-A’s blog post, the stadium hosts about 100 games annually, providing enough time for customers to enjoy their favorite dishes.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on Chick-Fil-A complaints, Chick-Fil-A competitors, and Chick-Fil-A headquarters.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Chick-Fil-A’s history began back in the days when Cathy founded Dwarfs House and later on transformed the idea to start the ever-excellent Chick-Fil-A.
For years, the company has preserved its secret menu for originality and remains competitive in the market.
Also, Chick-Fil-A has recorded some of the highest sales records in its restaurants nationwide, amidst high competition from similar restaurants such as Wendy’s and McDonald’s.
