Chicken, chicken, and more chicken! If you love chicken (or a good argument), this is the right article for you. These two restaurants have circled the southern states fighting over which one takes over high school football games and lunch rooms for sponsorship. With both of these near college (and one in our own food court), I think it's time to settle this. The sauces, the chicken, the hospitality, and for our college student wallets, the prices, and more will all be evaluated. Happily review these reasons followed by a funny Chick-Fil-A billboard after every one. Nobody invented the chicken, but someone invented the chicken sandwich.
Here are 15 reasons why Chick-Fil-A is better than Zaxby's.
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1. Their sauces are handed out like nobody's business, and not to mention their taste.
Chick-Fil-A has always won me over with sauces. They're free when asked for, given by the handful, and always compliment whatever I buy. Chick-Fil-A sauce for the chicken sandwich, Polynesian sauce for the fries, Honey Roasted BBQ for the nuggets. Twenty-five cents for an extra sauce, Zaxby's? Do I have to continue?
2. "It's My Pleasure!"
The southern hospitality gets right to your heart. The constant smiles, the eagerness to give us their best chicken, and the extra mile stretch to take orders outside before the window. It catches peoples' eyes. It keeps them going through our hearts and our veins.
3. The Original Chicken Sandwich.
I've seen them handle those buns. With care, butter, and carefully toasted. And that's just the outside. Go deeper and experience peanut oil-fried tender, juicy chicken with two pickles (they didn't forget). I sound like a commercial, but when you pay a college price for a sandwich, you appreciate the good things in life.
4. The convenience.
The only time I've seen a Zaxby's on a school campus was to sell my high school classmates during lunch a $2 Nibbler. Come a little earlier in the morning that day (especially Friday's), and enjoy a chicken biscuit for just 50 cents more. And now there's one in my own school's food court instead of a drive off campus.
5. Those discounts though!
I have about three discount cards in my purse right now, but I've had around six total since I've started crazing about Chick-Fil-A around my junior-senior year in high school. The free frozen lemonade, the free drink, waffle fries, or IceDream cone choice, the free chicken sandwich. The possibilities are endless and they never stop keeping them coming. They usually pass out the little cards when something new is out, but you'll catch one one day.
6. Back to that frozen lemonade.
If the chicken sandwich and nuggets weren't enough, it's their lemonade. Not only is their lemonade a summer's best friend, they had to one-up it and add their amazing IceDream. Boom! A frozen lemonade made from the heavens. Think coffee is better? They have frozen coffee now. You're welcome.
7. The price won't break your piggy savings for Spring Break.
No need to take a hammer to your ceramic friend (maybe just shake him a little to get the quarters out). A combo costs usually around $7. Thinking $7 is a lot? You get the chicken. You get the medium fries. You get the medium drink. Need more? The large IceDream cones are less than the price of a high school Nibbler.
8. Promotions.
Every time I happen to scroll down my Facebook, I see my college's nearest Chick-Fil-A handing out discounts and free sandwiches. Just flash your college ID and get one free. And it's not only for essay-stricken students, the professors and staff get a chicken break, too. Zaxby's, where your coupons at though?
9. The health benefits.
Now we all know fast food isn't exactly a health break, but Chick-Fil-A tries. Earning a whopping over 1000 calories for a Zaxby's Meal Dealz and a single Nibbler being around 340 calories, Chick-Fil-A posts occasional healthy options on their Facebook page for a lunch stop. A Superfood salad. A fruit parfait. And a chicken sandwich is only 440 calories. Not bad for fried goodness.
10. The special nights.
I think everyone has seen at least one Chick-Fil-A board hosting a Spirit Night for a school where you drop your receipt in a box and it helps fundraising. Or dressing up as a cow for a free meal? Or those posts around Twitter for All-You-Can-Eat Nugget night? $12 for a Zalad and drink or all the CFA nuggets you can eat? That's what I thought.
11. The atmosphere.
It's no five-star restaurant, but it gets my five stars on Yelp! The open area, the plenty windows, the nice random pictures on the wall you catch yourself staring at. It's a nice view and if you asked for it to be a candle-lit dinner, I'm sure they would adjust.
12. Worker's benefits.
Not only does the customer benefit, the workers are also a huge part of their success. Without them, the business wouldn't thrive. Therefore, Chick-Fil-A gives out scholarships to their workers to attend college. Keep your cheerful chicken job and attend college to gain an education? Another great way to grab college students' attention. Go Chick-Fil-A!
13. The mints.
Yes, this is a separate reason Chick-Fil-A is amazing. They literally melt in your mouth and when nobody is watching, you can take a handful and run off to your happy, mint delight. Although that isn't the nicest thing to do to your chicken provider, it keeps you and your mouth happy after a warm chicken dinner. And here it is: Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
14. Our favorite mascot.
Who knew a chicken place would have a cow for a mascot? Never mind that, he's great with all the billboard sayings (finally said after all these pictures) and the famous line, "Eat Mor Chikin". The drive to get us off hamburgers has never been so strong, but gladly it works and chicken is surrounding us, literally, with all the road-side billboards. What's Zaxby's again?
15. They get us crawling back for more on Monday's.
With Chick-Fil-A being closed on Sunday's and our occasional forgetfulness, we are faced with looking through our car windows at a closed store, our stomachs growling for that nugget meal, and a disappointed look on our face. Shouldn't there be a Chick-Fil-A app that reminds us before we are heart-broken on the drive to another place. It only means we are hungrier for chicken on Monday than the day before.
This post is dedicated to my boyfriend, Ryan. A #1 with Chick-Fil-A sauce and a large sweet tea (occasionally a cookies and cream milkshake instead). Also since I asked him Chick-Fil-A or Zaxby's and he got excited because he thought we were going to get some. So here's to him being a big help in getting me more Chick-Fil-A!
