Jul 14, 2026
In 2020, as the nation shut down due to COVID-19, Chick-fil-A put one of its most popular promotions on hold. While the nation recovered, Cow Appreciation Day was kept in the barn. This year, the celebration of bovines resumes once more.
On Tuesday, July 14, the chicken-sandwich chain will bring back the event for the first time in six years, giving out a free entrée to anyone who shows up at one of its more than 3,000 locations dressed up as a cow.
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To be eligible, you’ll have to arrive at a Chick-fil-A location between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and will have had to make at least SOME effort to embrace your inner Bessie. If you can’t work up the courage to sit in the restaurant in full costume as you eat your meal, you can also get the free food to go or via the drive-thru.
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Those who join the herd during breakfast hours will get their choice of a chicken biscuit or a 4-count Chick-n-Minis. Show up at lunch or dinner and you’ll be eligible for a chicken sandwich, an 8-count nugget or a 3-count chicken strip order.
You’re still on the hook to pay for fries and a drink.
A long-time advertising icon
While Chick-fil-A is known for its chicken sandwiches, it has used cows as its primary advertising vehicle for more than 30 years. In 1995, a billboard appeared in Atlanta that showed two cows, one sitting atop the other, holding a paintbrush under the words “Eat Mor Chikin.” It caught commuter eyes and founder Truett Cathy knew he had something special.
It was certainly a big step up from Doodles, the anthropomorphic rooster that had served as the face of the brand since the early 1960s. (Doodles was soon put out to pasture, but remains incorporated in the company’s logo.)
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Becoming a giant
Chick-fil-A, for many years, was a regional restaurant, first opening in an Atlanta mall in 1967. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that the company opened its first freestanding location.
The success of that standalone unit led to the company’s national (and later international) expansion. Chick-fil-A is largely credited for the rise of the chicken sandwich on fast-food menus, as it made a name by offering something different than the burgers so many other chains were emphasizing.
It’s not without controversy. Chick-fil-A has donated money to organizations that have been accused of discriminating against the LGBTQ community and in 2012 then-CEO Dan Cathy sparked a backlash with his comments on same-sex marriage. In 2019, this led to the San Antonio city council banning the restaurant from opening a location in the city’s airport.
Those controversies haven’t had a significant long-term impact on finances, though. Chick-fil-A saw sales of nearly $24 billion last year, virtually doubling its 2019 totals. Revenues at the company topped $10 billion.
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Chris Morris is a veteran journalist with more than 35 years of experience at many of the internet's biggest news outlets. In addition to his activities as a writer, reporter and editor, Chris is also a frequent panel moderator and speaker at major conferences, including CES and South by Southwest.
