Chick-fil-A has served up its chicken sandwiches since 1967, an item the fast-food chain has become famous for. Another factor the restaurant is known for is being closed on Sundays. Fans of chicken sandwiches that are disappointed with Chick-fil-A's Sunday closures could soon have another option.
What Happened: In a story that started as a meme, a food truck is launching with a plan to be open every Sunday and park next to Chick-fil-A locations.
Sunday Side Chicks is a new food truck that will launch in Summer 2023 with a national vote on which location should be the first.
“On the seventh day, we eat chicken,” the Sunday Side Chicks website says. "Join us every Sunday, next to Chick-fil-A."
The news item was shared on Twitter by The Wolf of Franchises, who coincidentally shared a tweet in August with the idea.
“Hear me out – a food truck that sells chicken sandwiches. I’ll park it next to Chick-fil-A and it’ll only be open on Sunday’s. I’ll call it Side Chick,” the tweet said.
Work Week Inc, a media company, is behind the new food truck.
Merchandise is available on the company’s website along with the ability to vote, with prizes won for voting for your favorite city.
Another item that is sure to make Sunday Side Chicks stand out and generate buzz is its notable donation of 7% of sales to LGBTQ+ organizations. Chick-fil-A has been criticized over the years for donations it made to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations.
Related Link: A North Carolina Chick-fil-A Tried To Pay Workers In Food: The Reactions Were Exactly What You'd Expect
Why It’s Important: Chick-fil-A has been questioned over the years for its decision to remain closed on Sundays, a move that may be impacted if the company is ever sold or taken public.
“Closing our business on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is our way of honoring God and showing our loyalty to Him,” Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy wrote in his book “Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People.”
When he was alive, Cathy said his children were committed to closing restaurants on Sundays “long after I’m gone.” He passed away in 2014 and the restaurants remain closed on Sundays.
Chick-fil-A is one of the largest restaurant companies in the U.S., despite being open only six days of the week. The company ranked second in the QSR Magazine 2021 report of average sales per unit at $5.0 million, trailing only Portillo’s (NASDAQ:PTLO).
The restaurant company ranks third by overall U.S. sales based on data from QSR Magazine. Chick-fil-A has annual sales of $16.7 billion from its U.S. stores, trailing only McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) and Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) at $46.0 billion and $24.3 billion respectively.
Both McDonald’s and Starbucks have over 15,000 U.S. locations and are open seven days a week, which puts the strength of Chick-fil-A’s sales into perspective.
While it could be just one food truck and a short-lived test, the launch of a chicken sandwich truck open Sundays located near Chick-fil-A locations is likely to generate huge buzz.
Related Link: How NBA Champion, MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo Helped Boost Chick-fil-A Marketing
Photo: Courtesy of Andrew S on flickr
