• July 1, 2009

On July 10, Chick-fil-A will give a free breakfast, lunch or dinner to any customer who visits one its approximately 1,440 participating restaurants "fully dressed as a cow."

The promotion is part of the chain's fifth annual "Cow Appreciation Day" event.

Customers dressed "head to hoof" as a cow will be rewarded with a free entrée of choice, a side item and a Dr Pepper or other beverage. Those partially dressed in cow attire, such as a cow-spotted scarf, purse, hat or other accessory, are eligible for a free entrée.

A dedicated site (cowappreciationday.com) is providing full information about the day's events, cow costume tips, and downloadable cow spots, masks and other bovine-themed accessories.

The site also offers two online photo contests, one for adults, one for kids. Each contest will award free Chick-fil-A products for a year to the best cow-dressed customers. Children will also have the opportunity to win a $1,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond and a digital camera.

Cow Appreciation Day, which plays off the popularity of the chain's iconic "Eat Mor Chikin" cows, attracted thousands of costume-clad customers last year, according to the chain.

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A is the leading quick-serve chicken chain by sales. Its record $2.96 billion last year represented a 12% increase over 2007 and a 4.6% same-store sales gain. For the first six months of this year, system-wide sales are up 10%, and same-store sales at malls and stand-alone locations are up 3%, the chain reports.