A sandwich that spent two months as a two-city experiment is now sitting on Chick-fil-A menus everywhere. Starting today, the chain's Chicken & Waffles Sandwich moves from limited test markets to a permanent, all-day fixture, arriving alongside two new S'mores-flavored drinks as part of the company's yearlong 80th anniversary campaign.
The rollout caps a run that started quietly last December, when Chick-fil-A tested the sandwich in select Baltimore and San Antonio locations through January 2026, describing it to Fox Business as crispy chicken stacked between warm maple waffles with a touch of smoked bacon. The test came as Chick-fil-A works to defend ground it has held for over a decade. The chain lost its longtime number one ranking in the American Customer Satisfaction Index's fast food survey this year, ceding the top spot to Jersey Mike's for the first time in eleven years, even as its own systemwide sales climbed toward $24 billion. A national menu addition, timed to a marquee anniversary year, gives the brand a reason to pull attention back its way.
Chick-fil-A's Chicken & Waffles Sandwich Gets a Permanent Home
The sandwich comes in two sizes built around the day part. A smaller breakfast version is available from opening until 10:30 a.m., built on a maple-flavored waffle with a signature Chick-fil-A filet, three strips of applewood smoked bacon and a honey butter spread, served warm with a side of syrup. From 10:30 a.m. to close, the same combination scales up into a full entree. Guests can choose original, spicy or grilled filet across either format. The dual sizing mirrors how Chick-fil-A structured the original test run, where Baltimore stores carried both versions and San Antonio locations offered breakfast only.
Allison Duncan, Chick-fil-A's director of menu and packaging, framed the national debut as a response to that test period. "After seeing the incredible response and excitement from Guests in our test markets, we couldn't wait to share these flavors nationwide," Duncan said.
S'mores Drinks Join the Chicken & Waffles Debut
The sandwich isn't launching alone. Chick-fil-A is introducing an S'mores Milkshake, built from its Icedream dessert hand-spun with chocolate shortbread and graham cracker crumbles, marshmallow-flavored syrup and marshmallow whipped topping, along with an S'mores Frosted Coffee that blends cold brew with the same marshmallow syrup and Icedream mix. Both drinks are limited time offerings tied to the fall lineup rather than permanent menu additions.
The pairing fits the pattern Chick-fil-A has run all year under its "Newstalgia" campaign, an 80th anniversary push the company has called its biggest promotional effort to date. Khalilah Cooper, the chain's vice president of brand strategy, advertising and media, told CNBC the yearlong campaign was designed to celebrate the brand's history "whether they've been with us for eight days or have never tried Chick-fil-A before." Since January, that framing has shown up in retro packaging, the return of Frosted Sodas and Floats, and the revival of Cow Appreciation Day, with the Chicken & Waffles Sandwich now standing as the campaign's most substantial menu addition of the fall.
Whether the sandwich holds a permanent spot on the menu past this season remains an open question. Chick-fil-A has moved test items to national rollout before without guaranteeing longevity, and the company has not said how long the current run will last. What is clear is the timing: a national debut during the chain's most heavily marketed year yet, aimed at a customer base that fast food competitors are actively working to pull away.
