Chick-Fil-A To Begin Testing Meal-Kits At Select Atlanta Locations

Chick-fil-A on Monday announced plans to test meal-kits in its restaurants starting in late August, making it the first major U.S. fast-food chain to launch a line of freshly prepared meals for customers to make at home.

The Atlanta-based fast-food chain said it would test out its "Mealtime Kits" at 150 of its Atlanta locations beginning Aug. 27, according to a press release. The new Chick-Fil-A meal-kits will feature fresh, pre-portioned ingredients, including the restaurant’s signature chicken.

Those select locations will offer the meal-kits for purchase at its drive-thru, over the counter and via the Chick-fil-A One app. However, the meals are only available until Nov. 17 and customers can give feedback by filling out a form online. Based on the success of the Aug. 27 to Nov. 17 window, Chick-fil-A will decide on whether to make the meals permanent.

"We know our guests are busier than ever and need a variety of convenient dinner options," said Michael Patrick, an innovation program lead at Chick-fil-A who is leading the Mealtime Kits launch. "We’re excited to offer Mealtime Kits as a new way for us to serve our guests by providing fresh ingredients to enjoy a delicious meal at home."

The meal-kits will have five different recipes not currently sold at Chick-fil-A restaurants: chicken parmesan, chicken enchiladas, dijon chicken, pan roasted chicken and chicken flatbread.

The kits, priced at $15.89, will offer enough for two servings, according to the company’s website. Each is designed to take only 30 minutes or less to prep. They are marked with a "sell by" date and can stay refrigerated for several days after purchase.

Chick-fil-a has become the latest to join the meal-kit delivery service, facing off against HelloFresh and Blue Apron at a time where the meal-prep industry has seen competitors start to sell meals online as well as merge with supermarkets for distribution. The latter brands both offer pre-packaged meal ingredients with emphasize on making cooking at home easy for everyone.

Meanwhile, Kroger, the country’s largest supermarket chain, said it had finalized its acquisition of Home Chef in June in a deal worth $200 million. HelloFresh announced it would sell meal-kits at Stop & Shop and Ahold Delhaize's Giant Food.