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Chick-fil-A Released Sauce-Themed Merch & It’s Kind Of Terrible

Moriah House

Fast food merch is definitely having a moment. From McDonald’s loungewear to Costco crewnecks to IHOP pajamas, all the big chains seem to be hopping on this trend. And why wouldn’t they? It’s basically free advertising. Some of this merch is honestly really cool. For example, Aldi’s new clothing line features a fashionable array of tracksuits, bucket hats, and even slides, all for $10 or less. But Chick-fil-A’s entry into the branded merch market is less cute and more cringy.

What is the sauce-themed Chick-fil-A merch?

Chick-Fil-A Merch
Photo by Chick-fil-A

On April 17th, Chick-fil-A released a new line of sauce-themed merch. Notable features include the Honey Mustard Sauce Drip Watch ($60), the Garden Herb Ranch Trucker Hat (practically a steal at $25), and Zesty Buffalo Shoelaces (only $8). There’s more, but I think you get the point.

What’s wrong with the Chick-fil-A merch?

I have a couple big issues with this merch line. First of all, it’s incredibly overpriced. Even at the cheaper end, you’re basically paying $8 for, from what I can tell, essentially just…orange shoelaces. Not to mention the $60 watches which are basically just camo printed. Which brings me to my second point — you can’t even really tell this merch is from Chick-fil-A.

Chick-Fil-A Merch
Photo by Chick-fil-A

For example, if you don’t see the tiny Chick-fil-A logo on this $60 (!) Chick-fil-A Sauce Ombre Crewneck, it’s just a white crewneck. It’s not even really ombre. Only Chick-fil-A would try to make an ombre from white to white. And it’s not measuring up to the competition — Costco offers a much more fashionable Fleece Crewneck Sweatshirt for about a third of the price. Also, why is the model doing a Leprechaun-style heel click? TBH, all the models kind of look miserable, and I don’t blame them. I just hope they were paid well.

I get why Chick-fil-A would want to enter the branded merch market. Their image hasn’t been great in recent years, and many people have mixed feelings about spending their hard-earned money at the chicken chain (although the colorful sauce theme in this merch line is kinda giving rainbow…maybe change is on the horizon?).

Regardless of how you feel about supporting the chicken chain, this merch is not it. It’s overpriced, bland, and kinda ugly. Sorry Chick-fil-A, but maybe just stick to the chicken? 

Moriah House
Moriah House is a National Writer at Spoon University. She writes about all things related to food culture, from Trader Joe’s tips to TikTok trends. Beyond Spoon University, Moriah works as an elevator operator, which has its ups and downs. Her first job was at a frozen custard shop, and although she still loves dairy desserts, she is currently taking a break from the ice cream industry. Additionally, she serves as Views Editor for the FSView, Florida State University's independent, student-run newspaper. Moriah is currently a Senior at Florida State University, majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Geography.In her free time, Moriah enjoys baking chocolate-chip cookies, attempting to learn Italian, obsessing over cool plants, and going for podcast walks. She loves reading, and would be delighted to give you a book recommendation. Her favorite foods are peanut butter, banana pudding, and anything involving eggs and cheese. She is trying to teach herself to cook, and is very proud of her roasted potatoes, pasta salad, and frozen pizza. Her drink of choice is a frozen margarita, and she liked cottage cheese before it was cool.