Confession: we like to celebrate birthdays at Chick-fil-A. We’ve done 2 there so far this year and we make up lots more excuses to go on other days. No this isn’t an ad. Chick-fil-A is our favorite place to go for fast food so when I was invited to try their new Grilled Chicken Entrees, of course I said yes! I was given some gift cards for free food to giveaway, but more about that later.
Along with my family and friends, I was treated to an amazing Back Yard BBQ tasting event at my local Chick-fil-A and given a tour of the kitchen.
We hung out with the cow.
We sampled all of their new grilled entrees and had some backyard fun!
I learned so much and wanted to share with you some secrets about my favorite place that made me not want to eat anywhere else.
1. Lemonade
It’s hand squeezed! I don’t even do that. But the owners of Chick-fil-A know; fresh squeezed lemonade is the best. And everyone must agree because Chick-fil-A is the largest buyer of lemons in the US! What’s so special about lemonade? It’s not that big of a deal, but it shows the value they put on quality and taste which carries over into everything on their menu.
2. Salad
I was blown away when they told me all the ingredients in their salad comes into the kitchen from local growers, whole head. That means nothing is pre-shredded, pre-cut, or pre-made. They do all that in the kitchen.
I worked in a sandwich shop throughout my highschool years and we would make our salads in the morning, but almost everything was pre-made. Plus, some salads would stay in the refrigerator for a few days. At Chick-fil-A they only prep a few salads at a time ensuring their salads stay really fresh and never a day old.
3. Chicken
The new Grilled Chicken is Ah-mazing! If you haven’t tried it, you need to because I prefer it to their original. It is so juicy and flavorful I just wish I could cook like that at home. The key is their new grill that they had specially engineered. It was a $50 million project so you know it is the most amazing grill you’ve ever seen.
I watched them make the chicken and was surprised that they do everything right in the kitchen, nothing is pre-breaded or marinated. For their original chicken, they hand-dip it in a milk wash and then in seasoned flour. It makes a thicker breading and keeps the chicken moist. That’s the inside scoop!
4. Sunday
It is not only about being closed on the Lord’s day, but also about promoting family and taking care of employees. Chick-fil-A really cares about their community and it pays. Their stores are open half the time of their competitors and the average restaurant does a million dollars more in sales per year than an average McDonalds does, even though McDonalds is open 24/7.
5. The Owners
At first, I thought the operator and the manager of the store were just that. I imagined the owners were somewhere far away sipping ice tea on a beach. Then I learned, that the operator and the manager are the owners; a Husband and Wife team who have invested their lives into owning their own store. Brad started washing dishes at Chick-fil-A when he was 17 and stayed throughout his college years. Together with his wife Amy, they set out to Boise to start their own.
They are real people who work hard and have a 2-yr-old boy, just like me. I’m sure that there are a lot of other chains that have local owners that I just didn’t know about, but Brad and Amy seem to have a very hands-on approach to ownership that gives the store a personal touch.
Chick-fil-A Giveaway!
Did you learn something new about Chick-fil-A? I hope I’ve got you craving some chicken because here’s your chance to win some! 15 people will win a free sandwich a month for 3 months. Simply enter the rafflecopter below.
Wow. That looks a lot of fun. Gotta love Chick-fil-A.
Shaun Hoobler recently posted…android dev tools app
I like their fries
I loved Chick fil A before this, but now I have even more reasons to love it! 🙂 Their chicken is my favorite! I also just recently tried their milk shakes for the first time – yummy!
Thanks for the great info and giveaway!
Sarah recently posted…Mother’s Day Flexi Clip and Lilla Rose Sale
Chick-Fil-A’s nuggets are my favorite!!
The waffle fries!
Their waffle fries and their values.
I have never been to one of the restaurants
My favorite thing about Chik-Fil-A? The chain’s strong Christian stand!
Lynda Ackert recently posted…Nature Studies
I agree! Thanks for stopping by Lynda!
My fav things are many! Lemonade!! Salads!!!!!!! But the BEST is the peach milkshake!! Oh. My. Stars!!!!!
His
Shari
Definitely the lemonade
I like the polite manners and friendliness of the staff
I love that they aren’t open on Sundays.
I love the new grilled chicken salad with the apple cider vinegarette dressing!
Chick-Fil-A’s food is excellent and I like the values of the company.
Tammy Woodall recently posted…Mother’s Day Craft: Flower Hand and Foot Print Card
My favorite thing about ChickFilA is the chicken
I love how friendly and helpful they are! When we go there, they help us clear our trays since we’ve got our hands full with our little ones!
I love their food (especially their lemonade!) but my favorite thing is the stand the Cathys’ have taken on family values, and how exceptionally nice all of their employees are. I’ve been going there for the better part of 30 years & NEVER had a bad experience….can’t say that about any other fast food place!
I like their lemonade and regular chicken sandwich.
Thanks for the contest.
I love the salads and the regular chicken sandwich! It all tastes great!
i like the chicken mini’s for breakfast. They are so yummy! and their milkshakes can’t be beat.
Everything is great salads too and the fries with the polynesian sauce are amazing
I love their waffle fries and milkshakes
The Waffle Fries!
I love their salads they are absolutely incredible
I love the fruit and grilled chicken in the kids’ meals.
I love all the fun sauces
LOVE Chik-fil-A!
I love their original chicken sandwiches.
My favorite thing is their waffle fries.
That they are closed on Sundays – values over profit is admirable and rare!
I love everything on the menu, but the chicken sandwich is my favorite.
I love there nuggets
I love the grilled chicken sandwiches.
I like their waffle fries!
We love the milkshakes in my house. So yummy! Our Chick fil A is way across town so we don’t get to go as often as we’d like.
Great blog! Brad started my journey at Chick-fil-a he is an amazing leader! I loved working for Chick-fil-A
I love their waffle fries and lemonade!
I love how clean the restaurant is and how they say ‘my pleasure’ and not ‘you’re welcome’. And the food is sooooo amazing!!!
We LOVE Chick-Fil-A. Four years ago we moved to Michigan where there are NO Chick-Fil-A’s….YET! We are know to drive 2 hours to the closest one in Indiana.
My favorite thing about Chickfila is how friendly their staff is.
I love their salads!! They have wonderful customer service, too!
My favorite thing about them is how giving they are. They are always doing something for the community!
Kim R recently posted…Cookie Catch Up 5/5/14
I love that the put pickles on their chicken sandwiches! Yummy!
I love Chick-fil-a! I love the customer service we receive when we go there! The food is delicious and I love the values they have which makes me want to support them more! Thanks for posting this – I love them even more after your post! 🙂
It’s a shame they donate to organizations that support executing homosexuals in Uganda or to the “research” that tries to connect homosexuals with pedophilia. I just don’t want my money going from Chik Fil A to these organizations. I’ll really enjoy my fresh burritos from Moe’s.
I love the waffles friend the best and the chicken biscuits in the morning is great too!
I love their hand spun milkshakes, especially the fresh peach, delish:)
I appreciate that they never look at me crosseyed when I ask my fries with no salt.
I always knew Chick-Fil-A was special!
I LOVE the Grilled Market Salad. Sooo good.
The food,the food,and the food
My favorite thing about Chick-fil-A is the food and awesome service!
Oh how I miss Chick-fil-a. Wish they would come to Michigan already!!!:)
Jennifer-Mommy Life After PhD recently posted…The Best Gifts I’ve Ever Received on Mother’s Day
I love Chick-fil-A for the family atmosphere they provide! They are always so kind and friendly!
The lemonade!
We love cfa too! I’ve never tried their grilled options, next visit I’ll see I that grilled sandwich is better. By right now, I have to saw the original chicken sandwich rocks!
My husband would eat there every single day if he could! Such great food and great that they stand for what they believe in 🙂
Gotta love the chicken!
I love chick fil a! Everything tastes so good!
It’s so hard to pick a favorite thing about chick fil a! I love everything I’ve tried there. I also like when you say “thank you,” they respond with “my pleasure”
I love that I can make reasonably healthy choices for my family…love their fruit cups and salads…while still having the convenience of eating out when we occasionally need to. 🙂
Hands down my favorite thing about CFA are the owners Brad and Amy!!!
I really like Chik-fil-a. I was excited to have it open here. Their ice tea is one of the best.
Love the service!
Oh, if I didn’t have dinner cooked already I would be making my husband stop over and pick up the original Chicken sandwich! My favorite;)
Julie recently posted…Disney World On A Budget
I like Chick-fila, their food is delicious and nutritious. 🙂
Love their iced tea!
Thank you so much for sharing this and the giveaway!
I Love me some Chik Fil A. Their food is like the high end of the “fast food” market lol. Thanks for sharing the article with us; Jesus Christ Bless! 🙂