From an indoor waterfall to totem poles to orchids suspended in the air to a rickshaw bike giving customers rides, there is plenty to tip customers off that this is no ordinary Chick-fil-A location.
One of Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy's last projects before his death last year, Truett's Luau is an homage to Hawaii where children can play with ukuleles or maracas and entrée prices range from a $3 sandwich to a steak pushing $16. Manager Ryne Fulton says it's akin to "feeling like I'm on vacation" in the tropical state without leaving Fayetteville, Georgia.
Truett's Luau, which opened in 2013, is one of two Chick-fil-A concepts you've probably never heard of that stray far from its typical fare—visions crafted by Cathy "a serial entrepreneur," said Carrie Kurlander, the chain's vice president of public relations, during an in-person interview. (The chain also operates several locations of Dwarf House restaurants that hearken back to its original restaurant named the Dwarf Grill and three locations of a full-service diner-themed concept called Truett's Grill, which include a full Chick-fil-A menu in addition to some items from the original Dwarf Grill.)
The menu at Truett's Luau includes some Chick-fil-A mainstays like nuggets and its signature chicken sandwich, other items, such as fish tacos or calamari, veer far from its roots.
The other offbeat concept is a pizza joint called Truett's Pizza Café, which opened in 2008 in the same town and sells dishes like calzones and a variety of specialty pizzas, including one called "The Legacy" in honor of Cathy with fried chicken, sliced pickles and mozzarella drizzled with Truett's house dressing.
While there is some overlap between menu items, including the same milkshakes, cookies and tea, the biggest tipoff comes with tableware. They share the same cups, napkins, straws and some of the same dressings as Chick-fil-A.
As Chick-fil-A continues its expansion throughout the U.S., could more pizza cafes or Luaus be on the way?
"Our wheelhouse is chicken. That's the business that's growing and those other concepts are fun, and there has been some energy put into them, and I would say that they are a manifestation of his entrepreneurial spirit," Kurlander said.
For now though, there are no plans to add new units of these single-location offshoots of its main business.
"Right now, we're focused on chicken," she added.