Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy and his brother Ben opened their first restaurant in 1946. The popular chicken chain is celebrating its roots in 2026 with a new menu and free meals.
Check out Chick-fil-A’s first vending machine (no counter, same chicken)
Georgia hospitals keep Chick-fil-A market refrigerators for short-term testing, but like stores, they are closed on Sundays.
Chick-fil-A is celebrating a milestone of 80 years of cooking and wants customers to join in the fun.
As part of its “Newstalgia” celebration, starting Monday, Jan. 5, Chick-fil-A will boast new beverages, begin selling signature stuffed cows, and launch a special sweepstakes that will give fans a chance to win free food for a year.
New products from Chick-fil-A: Frosted sodas and floats made with the chain’s Ice Dream frozen dairy desserts, limited-time retro packaging of Chick-fil-A’s Original Chicken Sandwich, and collectible retro-style cups that are part of a sweepstakes.
For the 80th anniversary celebration, Chick-fil-A “wanted to do something truly special for our guests – something fun, intentional, and full of surprise and delight,” Kalila Cooper, Chick-fil-A’s vice president of brand strategy, advertising and media, told USA TODAY in a statement.
“It made me think differently about how we show up, not just in the moment, but throughout the year,” she said. “This campaign aims to celebrate our guests in a larger, more immersive way, creating moments that truly feel memorable and uniquely Chick-fil-A.”
How to get a free year of Chick-fil-A
Remember Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket? Chick-fil-A has a Gold Fun Cup.
Starting January 5th, Chick-fil-A will begin offering $3.99 Classic Cups for a limited time. One of four retro-inspired cup designs will roll out every few weeks while supplies last.
3,000 Gold Fun Cups will be randomly distributed to cups across the country and come with prizes. Lucky winners will receive 52 entrees (choose from Original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Sandwich or Chick-fil-A Nuggets at participating Chick-fil-A restaurants; contest runs through July 1). Winners scan the QR code to claim their prize.
What’s new with Chick-fil-A?
In addition to the special packaging of the Original Chicken Sandwich, Chick-fil-A’s permanent menu now includes Dirty Soda Style Frosted Sodas and Floats, available starting January 5th.
- frosted soda – Fountain Beverage of your choice – Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Hi-C, Barks Root Beer, Diet Soda Optional – Mix with Ice Dream for a smooth, creamy drink.
- float – Stack your soda of choice with Ice Dream to create a carbonated drink.
Later this year, an updated kids meal offering and a new limited-time breakfast menu will be introduced, which the company said is currently being tested and “proving to be a big hit with our fans.” This could be an allusion to the chicken and waffle breakfast sandwich currently being tested in Baltimore, Maryland, and San Antonio, Texas. However, Chick-fil-A declined to confirm that a U.S. release of the sandwich was imminent.
Cows will be the main character again this year. Special stuffed cows ($9.99) in a variety of designs will be sold at the restaurant, and other merchandise, including clothing and accessories, will be sold online.
This summer, Chick-fil-A is also bringing back its Cow Appreciation Day celebration. The chain’s “Cow Calendar,” which it stopped offering after 2018, will also return with a digital twist.
“We’re keeping the physical calendar that people remember and love, but we’re reimagining it with the digital component that’s in our app, so it’s a natural fit for how today’s guests engage with us,” Cooper said in a statement. “While nostalgic in spirit, it is designed for today’s guests, creating an experience that feels comforting, fun, and new at the same time.”
Chick-fil-A history
Tuet Cathy and her brother Ben opened The Dwarf Grill in Atlanta in 1946, starting what would become a hugely successful private company.
The restaurant, later renamed The Dwarf House, was closed on Sundays, similar to today’s Chick-fil-A restaurants. According to the chain’s website, the decision was made by Tuyet Cathy, a religious conservative, to “set aside a day to rest, enjoy time with family and loved ones, or worship if you wish.”
According to food news site Mashed, Tuet Cathy grew the company after Ben’s death, but Ben, along with his other brother, Horace, died in a plane crash three years later.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cathy trademarked “Chick-fil-A,” a play on the word “filet,” in 1963. Four years later, in 1967, the company opened its first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta’s Greenbrier Shopping Center, according to the company’s website.
Twenty years later, Cathy opened the first freestanding Chick-fil-A location outside a mall in 1986, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 2001, Chick-fil-A opened its 1,000th store, and in 2012, the chain surpassed competitor KFC in sales and became the top chicken chain in the United States.
Before the founder passed away in 2014, his son Dan became CEO. Dan Cathy’s son Andrew will become CEO in 2021, and Dan Cathy will continue as Chairman.
Pioneer Tuyet Cathy was “almost the last true fast food innovator of his generation,” Boston University hospitality professor Christopher Muller told USA TODAY at the time of Cathy’s death in 2014. “Thuyet changed the business by inventing the boneless chicken sandwich.”
Chick-fil-A’s success and counterattack
Chick-fil-A currently has more than 3,000 stores and recently opened its first permanent restaurants in the United Kingdom and Singapore.
The company has been controversial at times. Dan Cathy made comments questioning same-sex marriage in 2012 when he was CEO, which he later said he regretted. Some stores have been hit by protests and boycotts, and new Chick-fil-A stores have been shut down in some cities.
Last month, a Chick-fil-A store in Utah received some praise after a Facebook post celebrating two men’s marriage went viral.
Mr. Cooper did not comment specifically on the incident. “From the beginning, caring about people, serving quality food, and remaining curious about what can be improved have been at the core of our business. And the balance of continuing to innovate while respecting what came before has always been a part of who we are,” she said.
All controversy aside, Chick-fil-A is one of only three American restaurant brands with total U.S. sales of more than $20 billion, according to QSR, a news site that covers the quick-service restaurant industry. The other two companies are McDonald’s and Starbucks.
Chick-fil-A’s total systemwide sales in 2024 were $22.7 billion, up 5% from $21.6 billion in 2023, according to QSR. According to research firm Numerator, Chick-fil-A outperforms competitors among Gen
“Chick-fil-A’s longevity is a testament to its appetizing menu and consistent business execution,” RJ Hottovy, head of analytics and research at Placer.ai, told USA TODAY.
The chain’s Newstalgia campaign could help boost traffic in the coming months. Placer.ai, which tracks millions of devices and uses machine learning to estimate store visits, said overall chicken quick-service restaurants saw traffic decline in July and August after seeing an increase in visitors in the first half of 2025.
“The chicken category has driven much of the quick-service restaurant industry’s growth over the past few years, with Chick-fil-A being a major contributor,” Hottovy said. “The company faces increased competition from Raising Cane’s and many emerging hot chicken brands, but through continued menu innovation and creative marketing campaigns, it is well-positioned to remain a leading consumer destination.”
Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, and email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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