Chick-fil-A to launch trial run of new cauliflower sandwiches in three metropolitan areas

Chick-fil-A is introducing its first plant-based entree, a version of the fast-food chain’s original sandwich with a fried filet from a whole cauliflower in lieu of chicken.

The Chick-fil-A Cauliflower Sandwich debuts on Monday with a trial run in three markets: Denver, Charleston, South Carolina, and the Greensboro-Triad region of North Carolina. The starting base price is $6.59, with some possible variance by location, according to CNN.

“Guests told us they wanted to add more vegetables into their diets, and they wanted a plant-forward entrée that tasted uniquely Chick-fil-A. Our new sandwich is made with the highest quality ingredients and whole vegetables,” said Director of Menu and Packaging Leslie Neslage in a company announcement.

Chick-fil-A decided on cauliflower through a process of trial and error beginning in 2018, trying multiple vegetables.

“Our culinary team brainstormed and explored everything from mushrooms to chickpeas to chopped vegetables formed into patties, but we kept coming back to the cauliflower filet,” Stuart Tracy, the chef who concocted the cauliflower sandwich, said in a blog on the company’s website.

While the new entree eschews meat, Chick-fil-A is not classifying the sandwich as a strictly vegetarian item, as the company’s restaurants do not have separate, vegetarian-only preparation stations.

Vegan consumers, on the other hand, would take issue with the use of milk and eggs in its preparation process.

The cauliflower sandwich is marinated and breaded in the same manner as the chicken sandwich.

If the trial run goes well, the Chick-fil-A Cauliflower Sandwich could come to national menus within six months to a year.

“We really want to make sure it’s the right thing for our customers, it’s the right thing for operators, it works well for our team members, it makes sense for the business. If we have to make some tweaks and changes, it takes a little bit longer,” Ms. Neslage told USA Today.