Chick-fil-A Rolls Out Fast Food's First Fresh Fruit Cup and Industry's Healthiest Chicken Sandwich; Chain's New Products Featured in Healthy Trim Trio

ATLANTA, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Chick-fil-A, the nation's second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain, is raising the bar -- while lowering the fat and calorie count -- on healthy fast-food fare. Furthering its commitment to offer balanced menu choices, the Atlanta-based chain has introduced The Trim Trio(TM), a nutritious combination meal designed especially for its diet-conscious customers.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040503/CLM009-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040503/CLM009-b )

Introduced today at its 1,135-plus restaurants nationwide, Chick-fil-A's Trim Trio meal features the chain's new Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich, the industry's first Fresh Fruit Cup side and a 16.9 ounce bottle of Dasani(R) water. The nutritious meal has a combined total of 330 calories, less than four fat grams and zero grams of trans fat, and starts at $6.15 at most locations.

Chick-fil-A's Trim Trio is a combination of products that should set new standards for health-minded fast-food offerings. Chick-fil-A's new Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich is recognized as the healthiest chicken sandwich offering of any leading quick-service restaurant chain, and its Fresh Fruit Cup marks the first time a fast-food chain has overcome the freshness difficulties that have prevented other chains from offering fresh fruit nationally. In addition, Chick-fil-A is offering The Coca-Cola Company's leading water brand, Dasani, as part of The Trim Trio and as the chain's sole bottled water choice.

Complementing the chain's assortment of other nutritious entrees, Chick- fil-A's new Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich has only 3.5 grams of fat and 270 calories -- half the fat and 10 fewer calories than the chain's previous Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich first introduced in 1989, which was the industry's first chargrilled chicken sandwich. Chick-fil-A is now using a specially designed contact toaster to warm its sandwich buns, which eliminates the need to butter the bun before toasting and significantly reduces the sandwich's fat content.

Priced at $3.19 (at most locations), the chain's new Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich features a boneless breast of grilled chicken marinated in special Chick-fil-A seasonings and served on a toasted Golden Wheat bun created exclusively for Chick-fil-A. The sandwich also is served with dill pickle slices, green leaf lettuce, two tomato slices, and a side package of Honey Roasted Barbeque sauce -- a new recipe inspired by a veteran Chick-fil-A restaurant Operator.

Coinciding with the new Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich introduction, Chick- fil-A also is rolling out Fresh Fruit Cups. Featuring a mix of fresh-cut red and green apples, red grapes, gold pineapples, and orange slices, the Fresh Fruit Cups are offered during breakfast hours and as a menu option throughout the day. Customers may also choose the Fresh Fruit Cup as a substitute for Waffle Fries in Kid's Meals and other Combo Meals. Sold individually, Fresh Fruit Cups are available in three sizes: 3 oz. ($1.45), 4 oz. ($1.85) or 6.5 oz. ($2.85).

While some quick-service chains have attempted to sell fresh fruit as side alternatives, Chick-fil-A is the first chain to overcome the logistical challenges associated with offering fresh fruit nationally. Other chains have conducted regional fresh fruit tests, but none could maintain the freshness or quality of the fruit chain wide. Working closely with its suppliers, Chick- fil-A has developed a strategic supply and distribution system to ensure the freshness and consistency of its fruit products at its 1,135-plus locations.

"Unlike many other quick-service brands, Chick-fil-A is not concerned with developing products to specifically accommodate short-term or 'fad' diets," said Woody Faulk, Chick-fil-A's vice president of brand development. "Our new Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich and Fresh Fruit Cup products are examples of our continued efforts to offer a diverse and balanced menu. These new items complement the myriad of great-tasting, fresh and healthy products we already offer to allow our customers to make choices for their diverse dietary preferences."

Encouraged by the favorable customer response the products received during the three-month market tests, Chick-fil-A projects the Chargrilled Sandwich and Fruit Cup will be a tremendous success. The products achieved some of the highest overall-taste rankings in company history, earning a 4.4 and 4.0 respectively out of a possible 5, and the majority of the restaurants participating in the test enjoyed significant sales increases during the test periods. To confirm regional acceptance, the products were evaluated in 50 restaurants throughout five diverse markets: Hampton Roads, Va.; Washington, D.C.; Central and Southern Georgia; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Central Mississippi.

"Initial customer sales performance in test markets for both the Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich and the Fresh Fruit Cup has been the highest of any new item added to our menu," Faulk added. "The Fresh Fruit mix has proved to be an extremely popular and versatile item, with strong sales throughout breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, we spent nearly two years perfecting our Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich, and in the process, we developed a sweet-tasting, proprietary Golden Wheat bun recipe and a specialized toasting technique to create an entirely new sandwich that is even healthier than our previous chargrilled product."

"With our chicken-based menu, most of our customers already see Chick-fil-A as a healthy fast-food choice," said Steve Robinson, the chain's chief marketing officer. "And unlike some fast-food brands, we don't feel like we have to devote a tremendous amount of marketing dollars to promote our nutritional leadership. In addition to providing complete nutrition information on our website, we also will begin adding product-specific nutritional messages to food packaging and other in-store elements, and we will continue to keep nutrition top of mind as we consider future products."

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc., the nation's second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain (based on sales), currently has more than 1,135 restaurants in 37 states and Washington, D.C., including an expansion this year to the Western markets of Phoenix, Ariz. and Southern California where new restaurants have set opening sales records for the chain. Credited with inventing the chicken sandwich and first introducing the chicken nugget concept, Chick-fil-A serves nutritious and freshly prepared food products in malls, free-standing units, drive thru-only outlets, Chick-fil-A Dwarf House(R) and Truett's Grill(R) full-service restaurants, and through licensed outlets in college campuses, hospitals, airports, businesses and industrial sites.

In 2003, Chick-fil-A reported system-wide sales of more than $1.53 billion, sustaining its 36-year-streak of consecutive sales gains. Chick-fil-A is a nine-time recipient of Restaurants and Institutions magazine's Choice In Chains Customer Satisfaction award and, as reported in the October 2003 edition of QSR magazine, the chain has been recognized for the second-consecutive year as having the "Best Drive-Thru in America." More general information about Chick-fil-A is available on the chain's main website, http://www.chick-fil-a.com/ , and additional media materials are featured at http://www.chick-fil-apressroom.com/ .

CONTACT: Don Perry or Jerry Johnston of Chick-fil-A, Inc., +1-404-765-8038; or Mark Baldwin of Cohn, Overstreet & Parrish, +1-404-870-8888, Ext. 224

Web site: http://www.chick-fil-a.com/ http://www.chick-fil-apressroom.com/

Source Citation
"Chick-fil-A Rolls Out Fast Food's First Fresh Fruit Cup and Industry's Healthiest Chicken Sandwich; Chain's New Products Featured in Healthy Trim Trio Combo Meal." PR Newswire 3 May 2004. Academic OneFile. Web. 3 Dec. 2009. .

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