Rumor: Chick-fil-A to Remove Cole Slaw in 2016

An internet rumor has Chick-fil-A fans up in arms, concerned that the popular chain is removing cole slaw from its menu in January 2016.

Rumor, then Truth

When we first posted this article in November 2015, Chick-fil-A had stated it was only removing cole slaw from a small number of markets. Let’s take a look at the rumor.

The 2015 incarnation of the rumor appears to have been fueled by the graphic below which was posted to the Facebook profile “Chickfil A Pelham Road” which is no longer online.

The graphic reads:

Saying Goodbye is never easy

Like an old friend, Cole Slaw has been part of our heritage since Truett opened the Dwarf Hose in 1946. The removal of this menu item on January 18th will allow room for new items like Superfood Side. We are sharing the recipe so you can enjoy it at home!

Within a few days, the above graphic had amassed well over 10,000 shares, prompting readers to inquire about cole slaw on the national Chick-fil-A Facebook page.

“How can you not have coleslaw anymore?? Please say that this is some kind of joke!” one reader commented.

The profile which posted the graphic appears to be connected to the Chick-fil-A in Greenville, South Carolina.

Official Response

Chick-fil-A, which is closed on Sundays, did not initially answer the slew of social media inquires about the graphic. On Monday November 30, we received the following response.

Thank you for your inquiry about the removal of Cole Slaw at your local Chick-fil-A. Restaurants in the following markets – Richmond, VA; St. Louis MO; Indianapolis, IN; Southwest, FL; and Knoxville, TN are participating in a test where we have added a few new side items and removed Cole Slaw because of its declining sales.

This test has created more side options for our customers to choose from instead of our Waffle Potato Fries. We now have the following side item alternatives: Plain Baked Potato, Loaded Baked Potato, Superfood Side, Fruit Cup, Greek Yogurt Parfait, Side Salad, and Hearty Breast of Chicken Soup.

Again, thank you for your time and interest in Chick-fil-A

In 2010, a reader asked Chick-fil-A about removing cole slaw from its menu, and it was pointed out that a “very small number” (about 30) of locations had temporarily removed the item. In 2015, a comment on the original 2010 thread suggested that the test was ongoing in 5 markets due to “declining sales.” Those five markets cited were Richmond, VA; St Louis, MO; Indianapolis, IN; Southwest, FL; and Knoxville, TN. This echoes the email we received from the company.

Official Announcement

The company, however, did announce on December 31 that it was in fact going to remove cole slaw from its menus on January 18.

“We know many of our customers love our Cole Slaw, yet we have also heard from them they are looking for new tastes and healthier ways to eat in our restaurants,” the company said in a statement.

Cole slaw will only remain the menu at a few Atlanta locations.

Bottom Line

Chick-fil-A originally said it was removing cole slaw from 5 markets, not the entire country, as part of a test which adds new side items to the menu. An announcement on New Years Eve, however, confirmed that cole slaw would be removed on January 18, except for a few locations in Atlanta.

Updated January 3, 2016