Shake Shack takes a shot at Chick-fil-A with new promotion, but Chick-fil-A gets the last laugh

Shake Shack is offering customers a unique promotion this month: On every Sunday in April, you can get a free chicken sandwich if you spend more than $10 at their restaurant.

A company statement marketing the promotion says:

Here at Shake Shack, we pride ourselves on our Chicken Shack which is available 7 days a week. With crispy, white-meat chicken breast over lettuce, pickles, and buttermilk herb mayo on a toasted potato bun, this sandwich outshines its competition. And what makes our Chicken Shack even better, is that it’s made with antibiotic-free chicken, something not everyone can say these days...

Every Sunday in April, we are offering a Free Chicken Shack with $10 minimum purchase with promo code: CHICKENSUNDAY.

The promotion has led people to believe that Shake Shack is taking a direct shot at Chick-fil-A — and for good reason.

First, the promotion is only being offered on Sundays, the one day of the week that Chick-fil-A is closed.

Chick-fil-A closes on Sundays because owner Truett Cathy believed that his employees needed one day a week to rest from work, allowing them to spend time with their families and worship God.

Second, the promotion uses Chick-fil-A's signature slogan "Eat More Chicken" ("Eat Mor Chikin" in CFA's marketing parlance) by titling the campaign, "Eat More Antibiotic-Free Chicken." And in its statement, Shake Shack says that using antiobiotic-free chicken is "something not everyone can say these days," presumably a reference to the news that Chick-fil-A has shifted away from its "no antibiotics ever" pledge.

Third, a press release from Shake Shack said the burger chain is "one-upping a famously ‘closed on Sundays’ chicken sandwich fast-food chain, which shall remain unnamed."

The marketing campaign may help Shake Shack stand out — but Chick-fil-A is definitely getting the last laugh.

Last week, Chick-fil-A released financial documents showing the average stand-alone Chick-fil-A location made a staggering $9.4 million in revenue in 2023. Shake Shack, on the other hand, averaged $3.8 million per restaurant.

No, Shake Shack and Chick-fil-A aren't direct competitors. But the burger chain has some work to do if they want to compete with the "Lord's chicken."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!