The History of Chicken Salad Chick is a story worth knowing. Chicken Salad Chick has become a well known restaurant throughout the southeast. It has expanded to include over 200 restaurants across 17 states, which is a far cry from it's humble beginnings. The backstory of how Chicken Salad Chick began is interesting and somewhat a story of triumph. The restaurant started out in a "single mom's kitchen" in Auburn, Alabama. The culinary genius Stacy Brown started out by making chicken salad for her family in their home and it soon blossomed into a small business. That small business continued to grow and was met with some resistance. The health department advised Stacy that running her business out of her personal kitchen was indeed illegal. Stacy was forced to move her chicken salad kitchen into an official store front and the restaurant began. After that store became increasingly popular Stacy "soon added a second Auburn location. And another. Before long, inquiries about franchising opportunities began flooding in." Chicken Salad Chick continues to grow and as a company, has set goals for that growth. "Looking ahead, the brand's development goal is to have 500 locations open and operating by the end of 2025."
Chicken Salad Chick's name may only hint to serving chicken salad but there are quite a few other menu options to choose from as well. After perfecting many various types of chicken salad, catering to an assortment of palates, other menu options were added. Egg salad, pimento cheese and even turkey sandwiches are available. Some soups remain on the menu and the restaurant also offers a soup of the day. Top off a sandwich or soup with one of the various and exciting sides. The side choices include the unique grape salad, broccoli salad, fresh fruit, to the southern favorite mac-n-cheese. Looking out for the littles ones, a small section of the menu is dedicated to the "little chicks" offering more enjoyable choices for kids under 12 who may have a more finicky appetite to satiate. A "quick chick" is also an available dish. The "quick chick" is a pre-packaged container, available at the front counter of the restaurant that is an on-the-go option. For the more health-conscious consumer, the menu breaks down calorie content of each item and plainly displays them next to each item. The menu is easily navigated and very informative.
Flavor is unexpectedly one of Chicken Salad Chick's strong suits. At first glance a restaurant that has a main dish of chicken salad may seem bland or limited in flavor but that is hardly the case. The Chicken Salad Chick menu displays a total of twelve unique flavors. The flavors are broken down into categories of Traditional, Savory, Fruity and Nutty, and Spicy. The subcategories go into extra detail describing exactly what the consumer can expect upon ordering a certain type of chicken salad. The flavor descriptions are well written and paint a full picture of the flavor profile. The other selections available, such as pimento cheese, turkey, and egg salad are always fresh and are slightly customizable. The quality and pride taken in chicken selection is one of the major factors in superior chicken salad. Chicken Salad Chick has it down to a science.
Chicken Salad Chick has the history, menu choices and flavor needed to make a restaurant thrive. As evidenced by the rapid expansion and growing popularity, Chicken Salad Chick will soon cover more than just the Eastern half of the United States. It's amazing that what began as a weeknight dish in a small town kitchen, has grown into a well known and widely enjoyed restaurant chain. read more