New Chick-fil-A sandwich just arrived at restaurants. Here’s what to know.
Published at
Dawson White, Idaho Statesman
There’s a new chicken sandwich landing at Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide — and it’s spicy.
The Grilled Spicy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich will be available at participating Chick-fil-A restaurants starting Monday, the company said in a news release.
It joins several other chicken sandwiches in the chain’s lineup, including the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, the Grilled Chicken Sandwich and the fan-favorite Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich.
The Grilled Spicy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich features grilled chicken marinated in a spicy seasoning with colby jack cheese, lettuce and tomato on a multigrain brioche bun.
“We know guests are looking to add more variety to their meals, especially after a year where new food experiences were limited,” Leslie Neslage, director of menu and packaging, said in a news release. “The Grilled Spicy Deluxe offers the spicy flavors our guests have come to know and love, now available in a grilled option.”
Chick-fil-A tested the sandwich in some markets last year.
“We dedicate an average of 18 to 24 months to testing a new item before adding it to the national menu, and the Grilled Spicy Deluxe received positive feedback when it was previously tested in select markets,” Neslage said.
The sandwich will only be around for a limited time, but Chick-fil-A didn’t say how long.
The release comes just weeks after two fast-food chains announced they’d be entering the fried chicken sandwich wars.
McDonald’s and KFC each announced earlier this month that they would be adding fried chicken sandwiches to their menus.
The releases will put the four sandwiches in direct competition with Popeyes, which made a splash in 2019 when it took on reigning fried chicken sandwich champ Chick-fil-A with the release of its own sandwich.
That launched what has since been dubbed the “chicken sandwich wars.”
In the months that followed, several restaurant chains released their own chicken sandwiches, including Wendy’s, Church’s Chicken, Zaxby’s, Jack in the Box and Whataburger.
Why are chicken sandwiches becoming a menu staple?
For one, they’re a versatile menu item — customers are craving chicken and the sandwich provides value, flavor and a portable option for diners on-the-go, Forbes reported.
Chains also undoubtedly saw Popeyes’ massive success following its chicken sandwich rollout in 2019, which has proven to be one of the most successful menu additions in fast food history, according to the outlet.