The Chic-fil-a Archive Museum

In late 1992, amid rising competition from hamburger-focused QSRs such as Burger King’s “Grill Master” push and Wendy’s square-patty resurgence, the Chic-Fil-A Product Innovation Council initiated what would become one of the company’s least-remembered campaigns: the Cow Sandwich.

This was not the cow on the sign, and on the bun.

The Proposal

According to internal documents dated November 5, 1992, a memo circulated among regional franchisees under the subject line: “Diversifying Protein Portfolio: A Modest Proposal for Beef.” Penned by then–Director of Experimental Concepts Dale R. Lefferts, the memo outlined a need to “reassert Chic-Fil-A’s competitive edge in the ‘burger-forward lunch segment’ by aligning more closely with American meat traditions.”

The Sandwich

The Cow Sandwich featured a 4 oz. seasoned ground beef patty, griddle-seared and served on a buttered bun with:

• Two ridged pickles
• Sliced tomato
• Optional “Hay Sauce” — a mild horseradish mayo blend
• No cheese by default (to retain moral clarity in bovine-forward branding)

Test packaging labeled it simply as “The Cow”, with some markets printing “Cowwich” in early ad runs before internal review called the name “flippant and tonally conflicted.”

Launch and Markets

The Cow Sandwich soft-launched on April 4, 1993, in select Southeast test markets, including:

• Montgomery, Alabama (Eastdale Mall location)
• Fayetteville, Georgia (Glynn Street freestanding unit)
• Concord, North Carolina (car-side tray pilot)
• Pensacola Naval Exchange (limited run)

Promotional signage included window clings with the slogan:

“Try the Cow Sandwich — Our Take on America’s Other Favorite Meat.”

Reception and Discontinuation

Customer feedback was mixed. While some patrons appreciated the novelty, many expressed confusion or outright concern at seeing beef on a menu synonymous with chicken.

Internal market research, published in the 1994 First Quarter Franchise Digest, revealed:

• 42% of respondents were “unsure if the cow was real”
• 18% believed it violated the company’s moral positioning
• 7% assumed it was “a new kind of chicken”

One particularly devastating customer comment noted:

“If cows can sell the food and be the food, what am I supposed to teach my children?”

The Cow Sandwich was discontinued on June 30, 1994, just 87 days after official release, coinciding with a corporate branding summit in Peachtree City.

Legacy and Recovery

Though the Cow Sandwich was quietly removed from menus, remnants remain. Former store managers recall branded wax paper wrappers that read “Cow Classic”, and at least one laminated drive-thru menu board featuring the item was reported still in use as late as 1996 in Albany, GA.

A 1995 internal training document, “Messaging the Brand: A Post-Bovine Strategy,” laid out revised brand guardrails that forbade any future cow-based products. This document also formally introduced the now-iconic “Eat Mor Chikin” campaign, developed by The Richards Group and launched in August 1995 — less than 14 months after the Cow Sandwich’s demise.

While no known photos of the sandwich remain in corporate archives, a tray liner featuring a rudimentary cow drawing with the phrase “Beef on Brand” was reportedly recovered from a closed location in Griffin, GA and is pending authentication.

Conclusion

The Cow Sandwich remains a cautionary tale in cross-protein branding — a brief, earnest, and thoroughly strange moment when Chic-Fil-A attempted to sell hamburgers under its poultry-forward identity. While the effort failed, its memory persists as one of the archive’s most requested entries, forever nestled between irony and innovation.

Artifact Reference Code: CF-94-CS-WAX

Preservation Status: Discontinued / Uncatalogued

Known Survivors: 1 tray liner (suspected), 3 franchisee memos, 1 sauce formulation card (missing)