Chick-fil-A is one of the most well-known fast food chains in the US. It’s famous for its waffle fries and fried chicken sandwiches. But where does all that tasty chicken come from? As people become more concerned about the quality and source of their food, Chick-fil-A’s chicken’s origins have been looked into.
An Overview of Chick-fil-A’s Chicken Supply Chain
According to Chick-fil-A’s website, 100% of their chicken comes from real, whole chicken breasts with no fillers or added hormones and steroids. Their chicken is raised in barns, not cages, on farms in the United States that adhere to the company’s Animal Wellbeing Standards.
Chick-fil-A works with chicken suppliers and farms across the country to source their poultry Many of these supplier relationships were originally established decades ago by the company’s founder. By maintaining close, long-term partnerships with farmers and producers, Chick-fil-A aims to uphold high standards for animal welfare and food safety.
Key Players in the Supply Chain
So who exactly are the major suppliers that provide chicken to Chick-fil-A? The company does not publicly disclose all of its suppliers for proprietary reasons. However, some key players have been identified:
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Tyson Foods – One of the largest meat processors in the world. Tyson produces fresh and frozen chicken for Chick-fil-A restaurants.
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Perdue Farms – A major American poultry company. Perdue processes Chick-fil-A’s whole-muscle chicken breast. The companies have collaborated since 2014.
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Pilgrim’s Pride – A chicken producer that is one of Chick-fil-A’s longest-standing suppliers. The partnership dates back to the 1960s.
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Mar-Jac Poultry – A Georgia-based chicken processor that produces whole chickens exclusively for Chick-fil-A.
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Midway Poultry – A chicken harvest facility in Alabama that debones chickens for Chick-fil-A.
So while Tyson is a major player, Chick-fil-A utilizes a diverse network of chicken producers and processors to meet its high demand.
Meeting Strict Standards
Chick-fil-A maintains rigorous quality assurance standards for its chicken suppliers. All suppliers must achieve Global Food Safety Initiative certification and undergo regular audits by Chick-fil-A’s supply chain team.
Specifically, Chick-fil-A requires the following:
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No Antibiotics – Chickens are never given antibiotics important to human medicine. Suppliers must have a veterinary oversight program.
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No Added Hormones – Chickens are not administered artificial or added hormones, which is standard practice in the U.S. poultry industry.
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Treatment of Animals Humanely: Chick-fil-A’s animal welfare standards say that chickens must be raised in a comfortable, roomy space.
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Food Safety – Suppliers follow strict sanitation, transportation, storage, and processing protocols to prevent contamination.
By starting at the source with trustworthy farmers, Chick-fil-A is able to deliver high-quality chicken raised in a responsible manner.
Regional Differences
Chick-fil-A tries to get chicken from local suppliers near each restaurant as much as possible. However, some broad regional differences exist:
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Chickens for West Coast restaurants typically come from California or Arizona farms.
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The Midwest and South receive poultry from major chicken-producing states like Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas.
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Northeast locations source chicken from Pennsylvania and North Carolina suppliers.
Regardless of region, all suppliers must meet the same standards in order to sell chicken to Chick-fil-A. This ensures consistency across the chain.
Commitment to Quality
In the fast food industry, few companies can rival the selectivity and care that Chick-fil-A puts into sourcing its signature product. By focusing on whole chickens and nurturing long-term relationships with suppliers, Chick-fil-A can closely monitor animal welfare, safety protocols, and quality from farm to restaurant.
Next time you visit Chick-fil-A, you can eat your nuggets and sandwich comfortably knowing that your meat originated from chickens that were humanely raised without unnecessary antibiotics or artificial hormones. In the quick-serve world, that degree of care is uncommon and worthy of appreciation.
A business built to serveService. Team. Growth. ChickâfilâA
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No matter if you work in the warehouse or deliver to a Chick-fil-A restaurant, we want you to be able to do what’s best for Operators and their teams. Roles include:
- Receiving, picking, and loading important food ingredients and supplies that restaurants need to make meals
- Transportation: delivering these important items by hand to restaurants and keeping our trucks in great shape
- Specialized Support: Helping restaurants with their day-to-day operations, such as safety, quality, and compliance, as well as fleet maintenance, administrative support, customer service, and human resources
Serving others starts with you. When you can bring your best self to work, our team flourishes. In return, at ChickâfilâA Supply, we want to help you grow personally and professionally. We offer:
- Competitive compensation and benefits built on ChickâfilâAâs history of generosity
- Full training and opportunities for professional growth that are meant to bring out the best in you
- Scheduling that is meant to give you a life outside of work
Grow with us. Our business is different, and we need your creativity to help us support ChickâfilâA restaurantsâ tremendous growth. When you can bring your best ideas to the table, together we can determine how to best serve one of Americaâs favorite quick-service restaurant brands. The first, full-scale distribution center for Chick-fil-A Supply opened in 2019. The company is based in Cartersville, Georgia, has about 200 employees, and can serve up to 300 restaurants. For information on the other distribution centers in our network, click on the link below.
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Behind Chick-fil-A’s Unconventional Franchise Model | WSJ The Economics Of
FAQ
Where does Chick-fil-A get their chicken from?
Our chicken is raised in barns (not cages), on farms in the United States, in accordance with our Animal Wellbeing Standards, and with No Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine (NAIHM). * No artificial or added hormones are used in the production of any poultry in the United States.
Does Tyson supply chicken to Chick-fil-A?
Tyson supplies both Chick-FIL-A and Popeyes & no telling who else, probably just about everyone. I’m going to stop buying Popeyes (unless they agree to another supplier) and I ask the rest of you to stop patronizing the others as well.
What food distributor does Chick-fil-A use?
Chick-fil-A uses Chick-fil-A Supply, a wholly-owned subsidiary, as its primary food distributor. This distribution service is designed to meet the specific needs of Chick-fil-A restaurants.
Why is it only $10,000 to open a Chick-fil-A?
The low $10,000 initial investment for a Chick-fil-A franchise is due to Chick-fil-A’s unique business model. Chick-fil-A pays for almost all of the costs, like real estate, equipment, and inventory. This is different from most franchises where the franchisee pays for most of the start-up costs. The $10,000 fee is essentially a franchise fee and a sign of commitment from the operator.
Does Chick-fil-A buy chicken from the United States?
Yes, Chick-Fil-A’s commitment to supporting local farmers extends to sourcing 100% of its chicken from within the United States. How does Chick-Fil-A ensure the quality of its chicken? Chick-Fil-A works closely with its suppliers to maintain high standards for its chicken products.
Who are Chick-fil-A’s trusted chicken suppliers?
Read on for insights into Chick-fil-A‘s trusted chicken suppliers, animal welfare policies, inventory volumes, and commitment to quality. Chick-fil-A works with big chicken suppliers like Tyson and Purdue to meet the huge demand from their more than 2,300 restaurants across the country. But not just any supplier qualifies for their business.
Who makes Chick-fil-A chicken?
Tyson – One of the world‘s largest chicken producers at over 20% U. S. market share. Chick-fil-A standards likely comprise a small subset of Tyson‘s overall production. Purdue – Prominent U. S. poultry company focused on ethics and animal care. Sanderson Farms – Third largest U. S. poultry producer and longtime Chick-fil-A supplier.
Does Chick-fil-A supply hormone-free chicken?
As the nation‘s leading fast food chicken chain with over 2,300 locations, Chick-fil-A has honed the science of supplying high-demand poultry. But how exactly does their supply chain deliver the volumes of ethical, hormone-free chickens we‘ve come to expect in our sandwiches and nuggets?.
Does Chick-fil-A have a chicken farm?
Yes, Chick-Fil-A does have a set of rules called the “Chick-fil-A Supplier Handbook” that tells suppliers what they should do to make sure food is safe, animals are cared for, and the environment is protected. Does Chick-Fil-A have its own chicken farms? No, Chick-Fil-A does not have its own chicken farms.
Does Chick-fil-A have a poultry supply chain?
Chick-fil-A partners with several major poultry suppliers like Tyson and Purdue to meet their incredible demand across over 2,300 restaurants nationwide. But not just any supplier qualifies for their business. As a picky shopper and retail analyst, I scrutinize brands‘ supply chain ethics.