Chick-fil-A and jewelry store have playful ‘sign war’ and their Alabama town loves it

Mitchell Willetts
·2 min read

Want to start a war with Chick-Fil-A? Claim your drive thru is better.

That’s what Jeff Dennis Jewelers of Gardendale, Alabama did — in bold letters on an electronic sign — and the good-natured ribbing soon kicked off a “sign war” between the neighboring businesses.

The escalating tit-for-tat has Gardendale residents eagerly awaiting each new response.

“Our drive thru is faster than Chick-Fil-As,” the jewelry store began advising passing traffic in late April.

A jewelry store and a Chick-Fil-A in Gardendale, Alabama are locked in a good-natured sign war.
A jewelry store and a Chick-Fil-A in Gardendale, Alabama are locked in a good-natured sign war.

The owner, Jeff Dennis, posted a picture of the updated sign to the store’s Facebook page.

“1,2,3,4 I declare a sign war,” he wrote, calling out his longtime friend Mike Holmes, who owns and operates the Gardendale Chick-Fil-A.

And with that, the first volley was fired.

“I don’t know if he was a willing participant at the time, but I was going to call him a chicken if he wasn’t,” Dennis told WIAT.

Residents quickly turned their attention to see what would happen next.

“Those are fighting words,” one person commented on Dennis’ post. “You dare challenge the lords chicken?”

Two days later, Chick-Fil-A responded, unveiling a devious new message: “OVERFLOW PARKING LOCATED AT JEFF DENNIS JEWELERS!”

Chick-Fil-A quickly joined in the sign war.
Chick-Fil-A quickly joined in the sign war.

The jewelry store retaliated: “Gold nuggets are better than chicken nuggets.”

Then Chick-Fil-A raised the stakes and invaded the jewelry store’s turf, planting paper signs in the grass out front ordering passersby to “Eat Mor Chikin,” the words surrounded by cut-out cartoon cows.

Chick-Fil-A upped the ante in the sign war.
Chick-Fil-A upped the ante in the sign war.

Dennis matched Chick-Fil-A’s boldness, placing signs of his own in front of the restaurant: “Buy Mor Diamonds,” with an arrow pointing toward his store one block down the road.

Jeff Dennis Jewelers struck back Monday morning.
Jeff Dennis Jewelers struck back Monday morning.

“Chick-Fil-A, your yard has never looked better,” Dennis said. “Yard of the week! It’s my pleasure!”

That counterattack came Monday.

“I laughed so hard this morning when I passed that,” a resident commented on Dennis’ latest post.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Chick-Fil-A has not yet struck back, but if past actions are any indication, it will soon, upping the ante in the process.

“Chick-Fil-A, you’re up,” a commenter wrote.

“Come on Chick! Don’t let them do you like that!” said another.

One commenter offered this prediction: “This is going to get expensive.”