After seven years and $50 million, Chick-fil-A is ready to roll out a new menu of grilled chicken entrees that bring backyard grill taste — and a nutritious meal option — to its restaurants.
The Atlanta-based chain plans to launch its new grilled chicken recipe on April 14. The Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich and Grilled Nuggets are the headliners of this new offering.
“We started with a mission to create a best-in-class grilled sandwich, and after testing 1,200-plus recipes, we landed on a taste so remarkable that we decided to extend the flavor into a full grilled line,” said David Farmer, Chick-fil-A’s vice president of product strategy and development. “Our previous grilled entrees were good, but not remarkable. We wanted a grilled chicken recipe that is just as ‘craveable’ as our original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich.”
The company worked with Garland Grills to create a propriety grill that sears chicken on cast-iron grates like a backyard grill, but faster. Each chicken breast is marinated with a blend of sea salt, lemon, garlic and savory herbs. Chick-fil-A invested $50 million and spent seven years of testing the recipe and the grill technology.
The chain expects the new grilled chicken recipe to enhance its other grilled chicken offerings such as the Grilled Market Salad, Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap and the Chicken Salad Sandwich. Chick-fil-A's strategy is to attract the health-conscious customer with low-calorie, free-from menu items.
“Chick-fil-A is more committed than ever to providing our customers with a ‘menu of choice’ that not only tastes great, but is great for them,” Farmer added. “Whether our customers are counting carbs, fat or calories, or eating food made without gluten-containing ingredients, we offer a number of menu options to suit their dietary needs and preferences. To keep them informed, we make our nutritional information easily accessible for all guests, including an online meal calculator, calorie counts posted on our menu boards, nutrition panels and pamphlets in our dining rooms, and order-specific nutrition information printed on receipts by request.”
