What trademarks does the Chick Fil A Franchise Agreement grant the right to use?
Chick_Fil_A Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
icense others to operate any business under a different name, but Chick-fil-A or its affiliates may establish other or similar businesses at some future date.
Item 13
TRADEMARKS
Chick-fil-A's Franchise Agreement grants you the right to use the trademark "Chick-fil-A" together with the trade name "Chick-fil-A" and all other service marks and trademarks, trade names, designs, signs, emblems, insignia, symbols or slogans used by Chick-fil-A in connection with its Chick-fil-A products. This right is limited strictly to your operation of your franchised Chick-fil-A Restaurant business and your use must comply with your Franchise Agreement.
CFA Properties, Inc. ("CFA Properties"), an affiliate of Chick-fil-A, owns, among others, the following trademarks, service marks, trade names, logo types and other commercial symbols presently registered on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and has licensed these trademarks to Chick-fil-A for sublicense to others to use.
| Mark | Registration / Application Number | Registration / Application Date* |
|---|---|---|
| Authentic Originals Logo | 7,255,003 | 12/26/2023 |
| Block C Logo | 4,213,524 | 09/25/2012 |
| Block C Logo | 7,018,860 | 04/04/2023 |
| C Logo | 2,298,157 | 12/07/1999 |
| C Logo | 873,925 | 07/29/1969 |
| C Logo | 1,211,656 | 10/05/1982 |
| C Logo | 2,307,404 | 01/11/2000 |
| C Logo | 2,316,050 | 02/08/2000 |
| C Logo | 2,316,051 | 02/08/2000 |
| C Logo | 2,313,854 | 02/01/2000 |
| C (Stylized) (Red) | 2,341,163 | 04/11/2000 |
| Central Avenue | 7,626,296 | 12/24/2024 |
| Central Avenue & Design | 98/483,742 | 04/04/2024 |
| CFA | 6,038,359 | 04/21/2020 |
| Circle C Logo | 6,562,865 | 11/16/2021 |
| Circle C Logo | 98/914,464 | 12/20/2024 |
| Cropped C Logo | 5,750,250 | 05/14/2019 |
| Cropped C Logo | 98/914,354 | 12/20/2024 |
| Cropped C Logo (Red) | 5,750,424 | 05/14/2019 |
| Chick-fil-A | 6,042,675 | 04/28/2020 |
| Chick-fil-A | 1,209,211 | 09/14/1982 |
| Chick-fil-A | 2,196,099 | 10/13/1998 |
| Chick-fil-A | 2,196,100 | 10/13/1998 |
| Chick-fil-A | 2,211,210 | 12/15/1998 |
| Chick-fil-A | 2,340,814 | 04/11/2000 |
| Chick-fil-A | 7,018,859 | 04/04/2023 |
| Chick-fil-A | 98/403,995** | 02/13/2024 |
| Chick-fil-A | 98/785,288 | 10/04/2024 |
| Chick-fil-A (Stylized) | 866,527 | 03/11/1969 |
| Chick-fil-A (Stylized) | 995,935 | 10/15/1974 |
| Chick-fil-A (Stylized) | 1,238,459 | 05/17/1983 |
| Chick-fil-A (Stylized) | 1,065,507 | 05/10/1977 |
| Chick-fil-A (Stylized) | 4,865,535 | 12/08/2015 |
| Chick-fil-A (Stylized) | 6,866,465 | 10/04/2022 |
| Chick-fil-A (Stylized) | 7,019,097 | 04/04/2023 |
| Chick-fil-A (Red) (Stylized) | 2,335,546 | 03/28/2000 |
| Chick-fil-A Impact Accelerator | 98/799,943 | 10/14/2024 |
| Chick-fil-A Play | 98/785,289 | 10/04/2024 |
| Chick-fil-A Play Design | 98/785,296 | 10/04/2024 |
| Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips | 1,958,706 | 02/27/1996 |
| Chick-fil-A One | 5,863,299 | 09/17/2019 | |---|---|---| | Chick-fil-A Remarkable Futures | 98/769,699 | 09/25/2024 | | Chick-fil-A Shared Table | 6,724,424 | 05/10/2022 | | Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries | 2,258,869 | 07/06/1999 | | Chick-n-Minis | 5,721,403 | 04/09/2019 | | Code Moo | 7,390,610 | 05/21/2024 | | Coma Más Chikin | 97/882,890** | 04/11/2023 | | Cool Wrap | 2,415,376 | 12/26/2000 | | Cow Appreciation Day | 3,372,804 | 01/22/2008 | | Cow Party | 7,274,314 | 01/16/2024 | | Cow with Paintbrush Design | 98/846,994 | 11/11/2024 | | Da Bao Ke Fu (Simplified Chinese Characters) | 7,331,527 | 03/19/2024 | | Delivery From Us to You & Design | 6,569,305 | 11/23/2021 | | Delivery Pin Design | 7,577,664 | 11/26/2024 | | Eat Mor Chikin | 2,010,233 | 10/22/1996 | | Eat Mor Chikin | 2,240,326 | 04/20/1999 | | Eat Mor Chikin | 2,062,809 | 05/20/1997 | | Eat Mor Chikin | 2,197,973 | 10/20/1998 | | Eat Mor Chikin (Stylized) | 7,457,541 | 07/23/2024 | | Eat Mor Chikin (and design) | 2,538,070 | 02/12/2002 | | Eat Mor Chikin (and design) | 2,538,050 | 02/12/2002 | | First 100 | 3,906,613 | 01/18/2011 | | Fowl Shot | 5,181,278 | 04/11/2017 | | Frosted Sunrise | 5,605,101 | 11/13/2018 | | Go Go Cow | 7,680,325 | 02/04/2025 | | Guess and Giggle | 98/785,301 | 10/04/2024 | | Hogar del Sándwich de Pollo Original | 7,026,679 | 04/11/2023 | | Home of the Original Chicken Sandwich | 2,969,991 | 07/19/2005 | | Home of the Original Chicken Sandwich (Stylized) & | 7,224,738 | 11/21/2023 | | Design | | | | Icedream | 1,273,752 | 04/10/1984 | | Impact Accelerator Logo | 98/799,946 | 10/14/2024 | | Kid Created Games & Design | 97/195,020** | 12/29/2021 | | Kid Created Games & Design | 7,410,343 | 06/04/2024 | | Kneeling Cow Design | 2,468,762 | 07/17/2001 | | Kids Design (horizontal) | 6,615,711 | 01/11/2022 | | Kids Design (vertical) | 6,615,710 | 01/11/2022 | | Legends of Evergreen Hills | 98/785,306 | 10/04/2024 | | Legends of Evergreen Hills (Stylized) | 98/785,310 | 10/04/2024 | | Moo Cow Band | 98/430,584** | 03/02/2024 | | One Design (horizontal) | 5,863,203 | 09/17/2019 | | One Design (vertical) | 5,984,552 | 02/11/2020 | | Sunjoy | 6,202,190 | 11/17/2020 | | Sunshine Days | 7,196,209 | 10/17/2023 | |---|---|---| | Standing Cow Design | 2,463,183 | 06/26/2001 | | Standing Cow Design | 2,464,891 | 07/03/2001 | | The Brake Room | 97/798,477** | 02/16/2023 | | The Chicken Wire | 5,306,199 | 10/10/2017 | | True Inspiration Awards | 6,355,587 | 05/18/2021 | | Waffle Fry Heart Design | 7,502,422 | 09/10/2024 | | Waffle Fry Heart Design | 98/349,350** | 01/09/2024 | | We Didn’t Invent the Chicken, Just the Chicken | 1,981,126 | 06/18/1996 | | Sandwich | | | | Zi Fei Le (Traditional Chinese Characters) | 98/297,187** | 12/04/2023 | * Any required affidavits and renewals pertaining to these Marks have been filed.
** An application for these Marks has been filed, but no federal registration has been granted for these Marks. We do not have a federal registration for these principal Marks. Therefore, these principal Marks do not have many legal benefits and rights as our federally registered trademarks. If our right to use these Marks is challenged, you may have to change to an alternative trademark, which may increase your expenses.
As of January 1, 2001, CFA Properties has licensed to Chick-fil-A the right to use the trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, confidential information, inventions and patents used in operating Chick-fil-A Restaurants, and to sublicense them to Chick-fil-A's Operators.
Source: Item 13 — Trademarks (FDD pages 60–64)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Chick Fil A's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Franchise Agreement grants franchisees the right to use the trademark "Chick-fil-A" along with the trade name "Chick-fil-A". Franchisees also have the right to use all other service marks, trademarks, trade names, designs, signs, emblems, insignia, symbols, or slogans used by Chick Fil A in connection with its products. However, this right is specifically limited to the operation of the franchised Chick Fil A Restaurant business and must comply with the Franchise Agreement terms. CFA Properties, Inc., an affiliate of Chick Fil A, owns these trademarks and licenses them to Chick Fil A for sublicense to its operators. As of January 1, 2001, CFA Properties licensed to Chick-fil-A the right to use the trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, confidential information, inventions and patents used in operating Chick-fil-A Restaurants, and to sublicense them to Chick-fil-A's Operators. The initial term of the license agreement is one year, and the term renews automatically for additional one-year periods unless written notice is given at least 90 days prior to the end of the existing term by either party. Either party may terminate the license agreement with cause if the other party fails to cure a material breach.
The FDD lists numerous registered and applied-for trademarks, service marks, and logos. These include various versions of the "Chick-fil-A" name and logo, such as "Chick-fil-A (Stylized)" and "Chick-fil-A (Red) (Stylized)". Other marks include slogans like "Eat Mor Chikin" and product names like "Chick-n-Minis" and "Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries". Various logos incorporating the letter "C" are also listed, such as the "Block C Logo" and "Circle C Logo".
Several marks have application dates in 2023 and 2024, indicating Chick Fil A's ongoing efforts to protect its brand. Some marks, indicated by a double asterisk (**), have applications filed but lack federal registration, which means they may not have the same legal protections as registered trademarks. If Chick Fil A's right to use these marks is challenged, franchisees might need to switch to alternative trademarks, potentially increasing their expenses. The Franchise Agreement requires franchisees to notify Chick Fil A immediately if they become aware of any potential trademark infringement. While franchisees must cooperate in defending the trademarks, Chick Fil A is not obligated to pay any damages or costs recovered from a lawsuit, nor are they required to participate in the franchisee's defense in a suit involving the trademarks. Upon termination of the Franchise Agreement, franchisees must immediately stop using all of CFA Properties' trademarks.