The Atlanta-based restaurant Chick-fil-A has grown into one of the most popular quick-service restaurants in the United States.
As its popularity increases, there has been a growing curiosity about the origin of the restaurant’s name. I looked into the matter, and here’s what I found out!
What Does Chick-Fil-A Stand For In 2024?
Chick-fil-A’s founder Truett Cathy named the restaurant Chick-fil-A to reflect the top-quality delivered by the restaurant. Ideally, “Chick” on the name represents the company’s signature menu, and the “fil-A” is a play word for “fillet.” He then replaced the “et” in fillet with “A” to represent the “Grade A” quality of the chicken.
If you want to find more information on Chick-fil-A’s name, how the restaurant got the name, how to spell the name, and much more, keep reading!
How Did Chick-Fil-A Get Its Name?
Chick-fil-A got its name from “chicken fillet.”
The founder, Truett Cathy, coiled the name “chicken fillet” to “Chick-fil-A” to incorporate the company’s offerings and values within the title.
At first, Truett Cathy tried to call the chicken sandwich he had invented “Chicken Steak Sandwich” but was advised that he would not be able to trademark the name.
However, he maintained the beef theme used throughout the company’s advertisement history (cows in advertisements).
From the beef theme, Cathy considered the chicken sandwiches the best cut of the chicken, just the same way the fillet is the best cut of beef.
As a result, Cathy decided to use the term “chicken fillet” to create his brand.
What Was Chick-Fil-A’s First Name?
Chick-fil-A’s first name was the “Dwarf Grill.”
In 1946, Truett Cathy opened a small diner in Hapeville, Atlanta, and named the restaurant “Dwarf Grill” because the diner was so small.
Later on, the diner’s name changed from the “Dwarf Grill” to “Dwarf House.”
In 1961, Cathy devised a way to cook a chicken sandwich within the same time it would take to prepare a hamburger.
Due to this invention, the business took off, prompting a change in the restaurant’s name much later.
When Did Chick-Fil-A Change Its Name?
Chick-fil-A changed its name from “Dwarf House” to “Chick-fil-A” in 1967. Moreover, Cathy rebranded the restaurant when he opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta.
That said, the change in company branding resulted from the skills needed to make the newly invented boneless chicken sandwich.
Furthermore, the restaurant’s name was re-designed to capture the chicken fillet and reflect the origin of the chain’s slogan.
How Do You Spell Chick-Fil-A?
The only right way to spell Chick-fil-A is “Chick-fil-A.”
With that, the company acknowledges that its name is easily misspelled, and there could be thousands of ways to misspell it, i.e., “Chik-fil-a,” “Chick-a-fil,” and “Chickfilet.”
But, the right spelling is always Chick-fil-A.
Was Chick-Fil-A Ever Spelled “Chic”?
Chick-fil-A has never been spelled as “Chic.”
That said, the company started as Chick-fil-A and has continued to use the same spelling, although the design of the logo has changed over the years.
Does The “A” Chick-Fil-A Stand For Commercial?
The “A” in Chick-fil-A stands for “Grade A.”
As a company committed to providing high quality, the “A” in the name is an assurance of “Grade A” top quality.
Also, the “A” shows Chick-fil-A goes “Above” and beyond, provides “A” higher standard, and brings its “A-Game.”
So, as a summary of the meaning of the “A” in Chick-fil-A, the letter stands for all the little things done by team members to bring out their best at the restaurant.
Who Designed The Chick-Fil-A Logo?
According to a Twitter post in 2012 by Louie Giglio, it was revealed that his father, Louie Giglio and Evan Armstrong created the Chick-fil-A logo in 1964.
However, before the currently-known Chick-fil-A logo, the original logo was Doodles, the rooster. Over time, Doodles was dropped, becoming the company’s mascot.
As for the Chick-fil-A logo, the first design was drawn on a napkin in 1970 and became the restaurant’s symbol from 1967 to 1970.
Also, the logo highlighted only the head of a smiling rooster drawn in black except for the wattles and the comb written in red.
Next to the head of the smiling rooster were the words “Chick-fil-A” with the “Chick” written in black, while the hyphens and letter “A” were all written in red.
From then onwards, there have been four other variations of the logo, including the present-day Chick-fil-A logo.
What Is Chick-fil-A Stock Symbol?
Unfortunately, Chick-fil-A does not have any stock symbol or stock ticker.
Further, the company does not have a stock symbol as it is a privately held company and hence does not trade publicly on the stock market.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on how to get free Chick-fil-A, is Chick-fil-A breakfast good, and Chick-fil-A SWOT analysis.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the name Chick-fil-A stands for “chicken fillet.”
However, the founder of the restaurant, Truett Cathy, coiled the name to Chick-fil-A to represent the product offerings through “Chick” and “fil” and the promise of quality through the letter “A.”
