5 Big Changes Coming To Chick-Fil-A In 2026

The only constant in life is change, it seems. And this extends not just to people, but to fast food chains as well. In recent years, Chick-fil-A has become one of the most popular fast-food companies in the United States, and for good reason. The chain offers a menu of mainly chicken dishes that are consistently high in quality, with an excellent reputation for friendly customer service. Though the chain has seen a lot of growth over the past 25 years, it has maintained a consistent reputation and brand identity. For Chick-fil-A, slow and steady is the key to winning the race.

With that being said, steadiness, in this case, does not equate to stagnation, and 2026 looks to be a big year for the chain, which is planning a few key changes to both its menu and business model. Chick-fil-A regulars might want to take note, because it might just change how you get your chicken sandwich fix. Plus, there are many new goodies to look forward to and enjoy in the coming year. Below we've gathered five of the biggest changes coming to Chick-fil-A.

Perhaps the biggest change heading for Chick-fil-A in the Year of the Horse has nothing to do with chicken nuggets and waffle fries and everything to do with business operations. The chain will, over the next few years, begin to shift many of its non-traditional restaurant locations to its owner-operator system. Non-traditional Chick-fil-A locations include those operating in theme parks, college campuses, and hospitals, which have been under a licensed model that disallows customers from using the chain's app for ordering. Chick-fil-A's licensed businesses operate in a similar fashion to Starbucks' "We Proudly Serve" locations. Airport locations are also considered to be licensed locations, although these spots are not a part of the current shift in business strategy. 

This transition will take several years to complete, and the chain will strategize its transition efforts to focus on individual assessments of locations. So what are the benefits of this change? Customers will be able to use their Chick-fil-A app, membership benefits, and gift cards at campus and hospital locations. This shift will also give managers of individual locations more control over the daily operations and allow for profit sharing with the company. 

At the beginning of 2026, Chick-fil-A added floats and frosted sodas to its permanent menu. This is big news for those who have enjoyed the frosted beverages for years as a part of the chain's secret menu, one of many hacks to help optimize your Chick-fil-A meal. No longer do customers have to make customizations to their orders to obtain a frosty treat. 

For the uninitiated, frosted sodas are a blended beverage made from a soft drink and Chick-fil-A's Icedream frozen dessert, which are mixed together. A float contains the same ingredients but is not blended (it is essentially an ice cream float). The drinks, though they have been available in some fashion for several years, will now be a permanent, fixed part of the chain's menu. So you can order it at the counter and on the app for dine-in or pickup.

Chick-fil-A is turning 80 years old in 2026 and is celebrating by giving 3,000 customers the chance to win Chick-fil-A for a year. Eighty years is a pretty big milestone for any business, much less a fast-food chain. After all, the restaurant business is brutal (like the failure of the 1980s Georgia-based chain D-Lites of America). But Chick-fil-A has crafted its business carefully, and managed its growth with intense attention to detail, garnering customer loyalty and the envy of fellow fast-food chains. (It has even, in recent years, become a direct competitor with McDonald's, the Goliath of the fast-food realm). So, to celebrate its 80th anniversary, Chick-fil-A is planning to bring its customers a year of "newstalgia" — offering new products, highlighting old favorites, and rewarding guests.

This yearlong celebration includes a limited-edition run of novelty, retro-themed cups for customers to collect, some of which include a winning card to claim the sweepstakes prize, along with old-school packaging for the chain's classic Original Chicken Sandwich and plushy versions of the chain's iconic cow mascots. These launches will be released throughout 2026, so you can look forward to a year of fun new releases that will take you back to the early years of this Southern-gone-international chain. And who doesn't want free Chick-fil-A for a year?

It only makes sense Chick-fil-A would invest in expanding its business in the coming year. After all, the brand has made a concerted push for thoughtful growth, especially across the South and in high-traffic markets. In 2026, Chick-fil-A will continue its growth in the United States, particularly in states such as New York, California, Florida, and Texas, specifically in suburban markets that promise high demand. These aren't the only places attracting new locations, however. 

In late 2025, Chick-fil-A opened up a popular spot in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a college town that welcomed the chain with open arms with a long line at the location's launch. Other popular new locations include a spot in Patriot Place, a shopping center nearby to the Patriot's Gillette Stadium.  Perhaps these two new spots can offer some insight into the path forward for the fast-food giant. Both are located in and around high traffic areas — near a sports stadium and college campus — which are prime spots for diners hoping to grab a quick bite. The college crowd seems to be ideal for the chain, as Gen Z can't seem to get enough of its chicken.

Chick-fil-A isn't just making moves to expand stateside. The chicken chain will also be making efforts to grow its international presence in 2026. The chain's first international location opened in Canada in 1994 but has been slow to expand its presence globally. In 2025, Chick-fil-A began its push into Europe and Asia, initially starting in the UK. The fast-food chain launched its first location in the Asian nation of Singapore late 2025 and has plans to open more locations globally over the next few years. One of the chain's primary goals is to have a presence in five international markets by 2030, making this year pivotal for international expansion.

So where will the chain be heading in 2026? While there are no specific plans as of yet, the company's CEO, Andrew Cathy told The Wall Street Journal the chain will focus its growth on countries in Asia and Europe that feature stable economies with dense populations, and, of course, have a demand for chicken, which is great news for globetrotters who have constant cravings for down home chicken.