When Texas children were going hungry, Chicken Salad Chick was the first restaurant to step up.
The Georgia-based sandwich chain known for its 16 kinds of chicken salad, egg salad and pimiento cheese has opened its arms to all families — without asking questions.
Kids eat free in most Fort Worth-area locations. All kids. Every day.
That’s the offer until federal food benefits are restored, to make sure no child misses meals because lawmakers in Washington are acting like children.
Chicken Salad Chicken’s offer is not political, the restaurant posted on Facebook: “We simply believe that no child should go hungry.”
Two weeks later, Chicken Salad Chick has a tremendous number of new fans and friends.
“We have been overwhelmed with the positive comments,” Fort Worth store franchisee John Schissler said, telling how the restaurants had more social media “likes” and comments the first day than in 10 years in the market.
Chicken Salad Chick is seeing new customers but also filling new catering orders for businesses and companies wanting to show support, he said.
“The people in our communities that have kept showing up in our restaurants are the reason why we’re able to help children and families,” Schissler said.
Chicken Salad Chick first opened in 2008 as a home-delivery service in Auburn, Alabama. It now has 321 locations across 22 states, from Denver to Washington, D.C.
That’s way behind iconic Southern restaurant chains like Georgia-based Chick-fil-A or Waffle House, North Carolina-based Bojangles or Louisiana product Raising Cane’s.
But Chicken Salad Chick must be one of the largest Southern chains where nothing is fried.
Chicken Salad Chick has made its fame with an amazing selection of chicken salads ranging from the familiar “Old South” with sweet pickles and egg to blends with pineapple, lemon-basil, bacon-ranch dressing or Buffalo ranch.
The west Fort Worth location is in a tough market. At least four nearby restaurants are known for chicken salad — Jason’s Deli, the Lunch Box, McAlister’s Deli and the antique-mall Rose Garden Tea Room — and more good sandwiches are hiding on the menus at Gallagaskins Submarines, La Madeleine, the Sprouts Farmers Market deli and Zeke’s Fish & Chips.
But the “Old South” is one of the purest old-school recipes. Other popular blends include grape-pecan or cranberry-almond, or a Texas favorite with chopped jalapeños.
The price is competitive with fast-food: less than $10 for a sandwich with a side dish or soup. That’s barely more than a plain chicken-salad sandwich with chips costs at the nearby 7-Eleven.
The deluxe sandwich combo is less than $11. A “trio” with a basic sandwich, side and soup costs less than $12.
Chicken Salad Chick’s kids-eat-free offer is good for all kids through high school age free until benefits are restored.
That’s a choice of a turkey sandwich, a PB&J Uncrustable, a scoop of chicken salad or an order of mac-and-cheese.
One night this week at the 6124 Camp Bowie Blvd. location, at least three different tables of families with children appeared to be enjoying the offer.
Chicken Salad Chick has eight locations in the Fort Worth area and five more in the Dallas area; chickensaladchick.com.
no opened its arms to families without asking questions.
Chicken Salad Chick’s offer is one of the most generous: Kids 10 and under eat free question or qualification.
Chicken Salad Chick’s offer is across the board: one free kids’ meal per child