Chick-Fil-A Made This Milkshake Change Years Ago, And It's Probably For The Best
Chick-fil-A is arguably most famous for its classic chicken sandwiches, though we can't give the chain credit for being the inventors of the chicken sandwich. While chicken and fries may be amongst its most-ordered items, the sweeter side of Chick-fil-A's menu is worth paying attention to as well.
There, you'll find fudgy brownies, gooey cookies, and classic fast food milkshakes. Though the chain first came on the scene all the way back in the 1940s, it first introduced hand-spun milkshakes in 2006. The original rollout included chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and cookies and cream flavors, all sold in 20-ounce cups.
Today, you can only get a 16-ounce milkshake — so what happened to the 20-ounce version?
Why can't you order a large milkshake at Chick-fil-A?
Chick-fil-A was ambitious when it initially launched 20-ounce milkshakes — not to mention the incredible price point of less than $3 at most locations. For context, that's the same volume as a medium soda, which is a lot of milkshake for one sitting. Plenty of people even bought them to split into two cups to share.
A few years later, Chick-fil-A added a smaller 14-ounce option, making the offering complete with two sizes: small and large. Then, in 2021, the chain scrapped all that and split the difference, offering one 16-ounce size across the board. Officially, it was about streamlining operations and making space for future menu items. Others have speculated that pandemic-era supply chain issues may have sped up the decision. Either way, it doesn't look like that big size is coming back any time soon.
The middle-ground 16-ounce cup solved both problems and, more importantly, created consistency across every location. That matters at Chick-fil-A, where the brand's reputation hinges on predictable service and fast-moving lines — though the chain is notoriously the slowest fast food drive-thru.