What Exactly Does The 'A' Stand For In Chick-Fil-A?

People have extremely strong feelings about Chick-fil-A. Whether you are camp nuggets or sandwich, sweet tea or lemonade, or even Chick-fil-A sauce versus Polynesian, you are bound to find folks with definitive thoughts. Some people drive miles out of their way on a road trip to find a Chick-fil-A and there are throngs of university students who descend on school-based outposts at every meal (with the exception of its noted closure on Sundays). While fans certainly flock to its locations, few probably think about the details of the chain name itself.

Truett Cathy founded Chick-fil-A in 1967, which was originally Chick-Fill-a, and the name came from a phonetic play on the chicken fillet that was central to its offerings. The tag line that accompanied the brand was explicit, branding them as the "best thing that ever happened to chicken." Today's fans would no doubt agree. But the nuance of the capital A was Cathy's subliminal nod to the quality of ingredients — the chicken in particular. In the U.S., poultry is designated with an A, B, or C grading. Grade A products are commonly known as the best in meat quality, making the capital A in Chick-fil-A appear as a de facto seal of approval.

Chick-fil-A continues to cater to legions of loyal customers with its focus on serving the choicest chicken, and its formula is clearly working. With humorous mascot cows urging you to "Eat Mor Chikin," Chick-fil-A has grown to a more than $22-billion-dollar business as of 2024. Ask pretty much anyone in the United States (sorry to those who live in Vermont or Alaska where there aren't currently any locations) and they are bound to have a go-to order. If Chick-fil-A's most ordered items are an indication, that ticket is likely a chicken sandwich and waffle fries.

Though there is no way to concretely determine who invented the chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A hinted at being the one with a 1996 marketing slogan that purported, "We didn't invent the chicken, just the chicken sandwich." While it is certain that Chick-fil-A didn't invent the chicken sandwich, it definitely has a solid corner in the market. Whether the capital A in its name cemented its chicken superiority, we will never know, but it certainly seems to be doing the trick.