Atlanta in 50 Objects
A pink pig and a renegade cow. A movie prop and a Coke bottle. A Pulitzer Prize–winning book and a Nobel Prize–winning icon.
How do you tell the story of Atlanta in 50 objects? We decided the best experts were Atlantans themselves—residents who cheer the Braves and rue I–285 rush-hour traffic, who understand how Civil War losses and Civil Rights victories together helped forge the city’s unique identity. Atlanta History Center asked the public to submit what objects they think best represent their town. The parameters were broad: an object could also be a person, a place, an institution, or an idea. After receiving hundreds of submissions, History Center staff assembled a collection of fifty pieces that represent the themes identified by the public. In addition to items from our own collections, we have partnered with many local institutions and individuals to gather artifacts from around the city to tell this community–driven story.
Chick-fil-A
Local entrepreneur Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant in the Atlanta suburb of Hapeville in 1946.
The Dwarf Grill, later renamed the Dwarf House, is where he created the chicken sandwich that became the signature menu item for Chick-fil-A. Many of his customers came from the nearby Ford assembly plant and the restaurant was open 24 hours a day, six days a week, to accommodate the different shifts of the Ford employees.
After finding a pressure-fryer that could cook the chicken sandwich in the same time it took to cook a fast-food hamburger, Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A in 1967 at Greenbriar Mall in southwest Atlanta. The chain expanded throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, opening franchises in the food courts of suburban malls. The first stand-alone Chick-fil-A location opened in 1986. As of 2018, 2,300 restaurants are located in forty-seven states and Washington, D.C.
Headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of College Park, the company’s culture is governed by Cathy’s strong religious beliefs and family values. All Chick-fil-A stores are closed on Sunday to enable employees to attend church and spend time with their families. Since 1996, the chain’s advertisements have featured “renegade” Holstein dairy cows and the slogan, “Eat Mor Chikin.”
Header Image: The first advertising campaign with the message, “Eat Mor Chikin®,” 1996. Courtesy of Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Truett Cathy at his flagship restaurant, the Dwarf House, Hapeville, 1985. Courtesy of Chick-fil-A, Inc.
First stand-alone Chick-fil-A on North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta, 1986. Courtesy of Chick-fil-A, Inc.