Comparing Chick-fil-A to McDonald’s is like comparing chickens to cows. They’re both animals but are two completely different species. Similarly, Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s are both competitive fast food companies, but they are branded very differently. 

“We serve delicious food people feel good about eating, with convenient locations and hours and affordable prices, and by working hard to offer the speed, choice, and personalization our customers expect,” states Mcdonald’s website. 

Chick-fil-A provides a different view on the fast food business. “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A” is their corporate mission.

As for prices, the Mcdonald’s Big Mac is an average of $5.15 in the US, and at Chick-fil-A, the price of the Original Chicken Sandwich is only $3.05. 

Though most people don’t go to fast food because it is healthy, health is still part of the decision-making process.

 “I feel like [Chick-fil-A is] more healthy than Mcdonald’s even though they’re both a bit unhealthy,” suggested 7th grader Julianna V. 

Julianna is, in fact, correct. When comparing the Big Mac and the Original Chick-fil-A sandwich, Chick-fil-A has the healthier option.  The Big Mac is 590 calories to the Original Chick-fil-A sandwich’s  420. There is also more protein in the Chick-fil-A sandwich. 

The Original Chicken Sandwich is their most popular menu item, according to their website, and 8th grader Julianna V.’s description might explain why. 

 “The sandwiches are incredible,” Julianna said. “I can’t even begin to describe the feeling I get when I eat that Chick-fil-A sandwich. It just cannot even compare to Mcdonald’s.”            

Both restaurants have a long and storied history.  McDonald’s has been around the longest.  It was founded in 1953 by Richard and Maurice McDonald, according to the history page on the official website. Ray Kroc then franchised it in 1955, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Then in 1961, Kroc bought McDonald’s. 

From then on, Mcdonald’s kept growing until, in 1967, they went international in Canada and Puerto Rico. Now, they have more than 38,000 restaurants. Mcdonald’s has been taking big strides in improving the company as much as possible.

They underwent major changes in 2015 when Chris Kempczinski took over as the McDonald’s USA President. They shifted to 100% fresh beef for burgers and stopped adding artificial preservatives to the chicken nuggets. These changes worked extremely well, as sales  climbed very quickly. For example, according to CNN Business, “In the first three months of 2019, McDonald’s sold 40 million more quarter-pound burgers in the United States than it did in the same period the year before when it was still mostly using frozen beef.”

As for Chick-fil-A, they were originally established as the Dwarf Grill in 1946 by Truett Cathy, according to the history page on Chick-fil-A’s official website. Then in 1964, he finally perfected the original chicken sandwich recipe “with two pickles on a toasted butter bun,” the site states. 

Eventually, in 1986, after lots of hard work, they opened their first stand-alone restaurant in Atlanta. Chick-fil-A had many more achievements to come. They had their first advertisement in 1995 and then, only a little over a decade later, surpassed 2 billion dollars in sales. 

After building the company for most of his life, Truett Cathy passed away at age ninety-three, and only a year later, they opened their first location in New York City. Now they open new restaurants nearly every week.       

Chick-fil-A offers fresh and slightly healthier food than Mcdonalds

“It’s [also] more worth your money, in my opinion,” said 7th grader Elise L. 

On the other hand, Mcdonald’s is fast and provides a larger and more inclusive menu. With the pros and cons displayed, it is up to the individual to decide where they choose to eat.