Chick-fil-A is killing a beloved item, and customers are furious

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Chick-fil-A is making another change, and customers aren't happy about it.

• Chick-fil-A is killing its Cow Calendar, alerting customers on Wednesday that 2018 would be the last year it would release the calendar. 
• The chain has released the Cow Calendar, which features a deal for every month of the year, for 20 years.
• Customers are furious that Chick-fil-A is killing the beloved calendar. 

Chick-fil-A is killing its Cow Calendar - and customers are furious. 

The fast-food chain alerted customers via email on Wednesday that 2018 would be the last year it would release its iconic bovine-themed calendar, which features deals for every month of the year, The News & Observer reports. 

Chick-fil-A's social-media channels have been flooded with backlash from distraught customers. 

"What is this I hear about you getting rid of the cow calendar!!! I am so upset!" one person commented on Chick-fil-A's Facebook page. 

"I am so disappointed in the retirement of the calendar," wrote another. "It is a Christmas gift tradition in our house (from the cows). My kids will be so disappointed."

"Please don't retire the cow calendar!" wrote a third. "I would still like to have one even without the monthly offers!"

"After celebrating 20 successful years of the Cow Calendar, we have made the difficult decision to retire the program at the end of 2018," a Chick-fil-A spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider.

"We never like to disappoint our customers, so for that we are sorry, but we will continue to look for new ways to serve our guests in fun and creative ways," the statement continued. "For those who purchased the calendar as a holiday gift, we will still offer Chick-fil-A gift cards to purchase as an alternative."

Chick-fil-A has been making some tweaks to its offerings in recent years, as the chain has gone from a regional favorite to the biggest chicken chain - by sales - in the United States. The chain has added menu items such as breakfast burritos and gluten-free buns to the menu as it attempts to appeal to more people.

However, Chick-fil-A has also faced backlash for some of the changes. In 2016, customers revolted when the classic barbecue sauce was pulled from the menu, convincing the chain to bring back the sauce a few months later.