Chick-Fil-A Says Goodbye To Its Beloved Cole Slaw

In a release on New Year's Eve, fittingly titled "A Tribute to a Real Original," Chick-fil-A says goodbye to its iconic cole slaw. It is accompanied by a video, "A Farewell to Chick-fil-A Cole Slaw," which opens with a shot of the cole slaw and the words, "To the side that was never just a side item." The tribute, which is accompanied by a solemn piano tune and customer testimonials, is enough to make you weep.

The cole slaw, which has been on Chick-fil-A's menu since 1967, takes its "final bow" on January 18, with the exception of the company's 13 Atlanta-area Dwarf House restaurants, according to NBC News. To help ease the blow of this loss, Chick-fil-A has released the original recipe for the cole slaw so that customers can make the iconic dish at home.

In response to a customer Facebook post regarding the news, Chick-fil-A writes, "[R]emoving Cole Slaw from the menu was a difficult decision. We know many of our customers loved our Cole Slaw, yet we have also heard from our customers that they are looking for new tastes and healthier ways to eat in our restaurants. It is important to us to provide a wide variety of menu options and this will occasionally mean we have to remove one menu item to make room for another."

According to Business Insider, the cole slaw will be replaced by 'superfood sides,' one being a kale and chopped broccolini salad with dried sour cherries and a roasted nut blend, tossed in a maple-vinaigrette dressing.