What do you really know about Chick-fil-A's breakfast?
You know, aside from the fact that your day wouldn't be the same without it?
From recipes that didn't make the cut to the hacks that'll score you free food, here's
all the behind-the-scenes info you need to know.
If your mouth starts watering at the mere mention of a Chick-fil-A biscuit, you definitely
aren't all alone — per the official Chik-fil-A blog, The Chicken Wire, 119 million biscuits
were ordered in 2017.
These light and fluffy butter pillows make waking up early a worthwhile trade-off.
"You can never have too much butter."
Have you ever stopped to consider why they're so gosh-darn delicious, though?
Well, for starters, every single biscuit is handmade.
No frozen dough shall be served to you.
Instead, Chick-fil-A employees commit to a labor of love.
The blog explains that team members arrive at 5:30 a.m. to begin hand-rolling and baking
Chick-fil-A's tasty biscuits.
The process for each batch of biscuits takes around 30 minutes, and they continue baking
fresh biscuits throughout the morning until the restaurant stops serving their breakfast
menu.
Further confirmation of this fact can be found via CNBC's Kathleen Elkins, who shadowed an
employee at one of Chick-fil-A's busiest New York City locations in 2018.
Elkins tagged along with the location's assistant director beginning at the bright-and-early
hour of 6 a.m.
During that time, the reporter confirmed, fresh biscuits were painstakingly mixed, rolled,
shaped, and baked by the restaurant's resident biscuit master.
According to Elkins, it is a process that is at once, quote, "simple but laborious."
For those of us who occasionally like to eat fast food for breakfast, health isn't necessarily
the deciding factor.
But when you're pressed for time — or, let's be real, just craving a chicken biscuit — Chick-fil-A
is definitely the answer.
And, hey, it's not as though you can't be health-conscious when you choose a Chick-fil-A
breakfast.
In fact, you might actually be surprised to learn that there are an impressive 10 pairings
on the breakfast menu that come in at under 400 calories.
Yes, really!
The Chicken Wire has detailed precisely what to order if you're trying to stay on track
with your diet.
Take, for instance, a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Muffin with a medium fruit cup and a large
coffee.
That combo will only set you back 360 calories, while also delivering 17 grams of protein.
Another popular option?
You can get a four-count of the beloved Chick-n-Minis along with a large cup of hot coffee for only
350 calories.
Even Chick-fil-A's buttery biscuits aren't off-limits to calorie counters.
Just limit yourself to one, then pair it with a medium fruit cup and small diet lemonade.
Since adding breakfast to its menu way back in 1986, Chick-fil-A has really hit its stride
with its early morning offerings.
Sure, over time they added things like a breakfast burrito, Chick-n-Minis, the Greek yogurt parfait,
and a fresh fruit cup.
But, really, the restaurant rarely veers away from its core breakfast menu items.
When it does, you better believe people are going to take notice.
For instance, in 2016, the restaurant decided to enter the more health-conscious breakfast
menu market by launching a new breakfast sandwich: the Egg White Grill.
At the time, Chick-fil-A shared their motivation for making the change, stating they were looking
for an innovative and delicious way to satisfy its guests.
The company called the Egg White Grill an ideal option for their, quote, "health-conscious"
customer base.
While adding just one sandwich might seem like a relatively insignificant move in the
grand scheme of things, the menu addition made headlines.
It's no wonder, either — it marked Chick-fil-A's first new addition to the breakfast menu in
six years, which is pretty remarkable.
“I’m impressed by you.”
Take a journey back in time, if you will, to 1946.
The city was Atlanta, Georgia, and the restaurant was called the Dwarf Grill.
Bet you thought we were going to say Chick-fil-A, right?
Well, to be clear, they're essentially the same thing.
Although, to add an extra layer of confusion, the Dwarf Grill was eventually renamed as
the Dwarf House.
Dwarf House, a classic diner-style restaurant, was the first restaurant opened by late Chick-fil-A
founder S. Truett Cathy.
Today, Dwarf House still serves up the original chicken sandwich customers have come to know
and love.
However, this particular restaurant does it from a distinctively quirky red-roofed building.
In addition to the famed chicken sandwich, patrons can order more traditional diner fare
like burgers, mac and cheese, and cornbread.
As if a Chick-fil-A diner wasn't proof enough that dreams do come true, there's more.
A blogger who goes by the name Jimbo X chronicled his trip to the Woodstock, Georgia, Dwarf
House location, which features — wait for it — a breakfast buffet.
“This is it.
All-You-Can-Eat."
Jimbo X reports that on the day of his visit, there were only nine breakfast items to choose
from, and while the variety wasn't immense, the quality was.
Life can deliver some pretty cruel blows.
And by life, we clearly mean Chick-fil-A. Sometimes, you aren't even aware of just how
unfair life can be.
Until that is, Chick-fil-A posts a blog revealing a few hard truths about the evolution of its
breakfast.
In March 2019, The Chicken Wire interviewed Chick-fil-A chef Christy Cook to find out
if there were any memorable recipes over the years that fell short of earning a spot on
the menu.
And, boy, were there ever — arguably the most memorable of which was the ill-fated
Biscuit Cinnamon Roll.
In case you're wondering, yes, Chick-fil-A biscuit dough was rolled in cinnamon, butter,
and sugar, and then cut, baked, and drenched in sweet, delicious icing.
Sounds drool-worthy — so what went wrong?
According to Cook, the recipe was simple, but still a little too complex in the end.
She added,
"Customers loved how it tasted, but because we couldn't prepare it fresh in our restaurant
kitchens each morning and get it right every time, we cut it."
If you've never experienced the wonder of Chick-n-Minis, you’re totally missing out.
Here's the breakdown for you — this breakfast dish consists of bite-sized Chick-fil-A Nuggets
nestled inside of warm, fluffy mini yeast rolls coated in a delicious honey butter spread.
You can order them in a four-pack or a 10-pack, and you'll want to be sure to order enough
to get you through the entire day.
Or, even better, adulthood.
Unfortunately, these tasty little fellows must be ordered during breakfast hours, meaning
you have to stock up on them by 10:30 a.m. or you're basically out of luck.
At least some of us are.
Others among us clearly have all the luck because, in select cities, Chick-n-Minis are
occasionally served all day long.
Chick-fil-A announced the good news in May 2018, noting the item would be available all-day
in Tampa, Florida, and Little Rock, Arkansas, beginning June 4.
While it seems the promotion only lasted for a few short months, ending in August 2018,
the fact that it even existed at all suggests that Chick-fil-A could bring it back at any
time in the future.
If all else fails, you could always order a Chick-n-Minis Tray in either a 20 or 40
count.
Go big or go home!
Chick-fil-A's Chicken Biscuit has a devoted fanbase who make it one of the most in-demand
items on the menu.
Can you really blame anyone for being addicted, though?
The sandwich features a breakfast portion of the restaurant's famous boneless chicken
breast that is seasoned to perfection and served on a freshly-baked buttermilk biscuit.
It's little wonder that patrons tend to ponder what exactly the restaurant puts in the menu
item to make it so irresistible.
According to The Chicken Wire, the Chicken Biscuit is a direct reflection of Shona Jonson,
a member of Chick-fil-A's Culinary and Commercialization team who has been making improvements to the
sandwich for nearly 20 years.
Her biscuit roots run deep — as a child, she grew up watching her great-grandmother
make biscuits every day.
Johnson said,
"I was very lucky that I came from a legacy of people who are very comfortable in the
kitchen."
In other words, the world owes a great debt to Granny Jonson.
In case you haven't caught on yet, Chick-fil-A is kind of like the fairy godmother of the
fast food world.
It's impossibly optimistic, smells like heaven, and does its very best to make sure you get
whatever your heart, or your stomach, desires.
And like any such magical presence would, Chick-fil-A has been known to put your needs
before its own.
No, they won't be handing out glass slippers anytime soon, but they might indeed give out
complimentary breakfast.
In fact, year after year, they’ve been known to hand out breakfast freebies left and right.
The catch is, you never know when it will happen.
So do yourself a favor and download the Chick-fil-A One app, follow them on social media, and
keep an eye out for those offers.
No one wants to miss a free breakfast.
Or, if you haven't heard about any promos in your area, you can always take the advice
of this Twitter user who claims all Chick-fil-A locations offer a free breakfast item on Tuesday
mornings.
Apparently, all you have to do is ask, "What's today's free item?"
And just like that, you might get something on the house.
The fast food industry has its own specific set of urban legends and, not surprisingly,
at least one revolves around Chick-fil-A. You know how these things go.
You hear people talk about it in passing.
They spread the word in hushed whispers.
But until you experience it for yourself, you can never really be sure if it's real.
In this case, we're talking about the myth of the free breakfast biscuits.
We traced the rumor back as far as 2012, when a Twitter user claimed,
"So apparently if you go to Chick-fil-A at 10:31 and they have extra biscuits, they're
free."
In 2014, another Twitter user confirmed that timing is important, but said that chicken
biscuits were also on the table:
“Always go to Chick-Fil-A right after they stop serving breakfast because they give you
the extra chicken biscuits.
Hashtag, you’re welcome.”
So while we can't confirm for sure if this is a real policy, there's one way for you
to find out for sure: get yourself to Chick-fil-A at 10:31 and see if you get any freebies.
Believe it or not, there is a way to win free Chick-fil-A for an entire year.
It isn't an urban legend, either.
Of course, there's a catch.
Are you ready to hear the truth?
“You can’t handle the truth!”
Every time Chick-fil-A opens a restaurant in a new location, they encourage patrons
to participate in an overnight event at the new restaurant's parking lot.
Called the First 100 Campout, it rewards the first 100 customers in line for breakfast
on the first morning of the restaurant's opening with free Chick-fil-A for a year.
This tradition, which i back to 2003, does come with a few caveats.
You must be 18 or older, have a valid government-issued ID or other form of identification with your
age and residence, and you must live in the zip codes listed for each restaurant at the
time of the opening.
And, full disclosure, you don't get to eat Chick-fil-A to your heart's content.
Rather, you'll get a promotional card valid for 52 Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich Meals,
or one per week.
But still, it’s so worth it.
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