The Chic-fil-a Archive Museum

A short-lived 1993 attempt to introduce a beef item to a chicken-forward brand. Launched with no internal controversy and plenty of external confusion, the Cow Sandwich rolled out in select Southeastern markets and quietly vanished less than three months later. The brand never publicly acknowledged its existence — but we remember along with Pepperidge Farm. 

Introduced in 1994 as a “more efficient” fry. Internally referred to as “Straight Slats,” these thin-cut potatoes were the subject of memorandums, menu confusion, and we chronicle it all! 

Filed under protein diplomacy, this combo meal featured both beef and chicken — a tray-based celebration of “the barnyard in balance.” While not officially discontinued, franchise records list it under “short-cycle” offerings with no scheduled cycles. 

Marketed as a maritime-forward, Lenten-friendly alternative to chicken, Sea Biscuits were fish nuggets served in clamshells with tartar sauce and very little confidence. Rolled out in 1991, pulled in 1992, and largely forgotten by 1993 — except here.

Not a menu item, but a consonant. The shift from “Chic” to “Chick” may seem small, but the fallout lives on. This exhibit explores the internal memos, regional resistance, and orthographic tension that surrounded the brand’s hardest letter.

In 1979 following the release of Roller Boogie at the height of the disco craze Chic-fil-a decided to combine funk and fine… dining. Customers zipped around diners dancing on wheels or enjoyed prime poultry and caviar either way, jacket required!

We have no beef with this idea but neither did the After Dark experience. Some say it was a fine dining restaurant with no cow, others say mirror balls and champagne glasses don’t mix. We set up our own experiment to test this myth!