Chick-fil-A now delivers and is giving away free chicken sandwiches to prove it.
The Atlanta-based chicken chain said Tuesday that it now has delivery available through DoorDash at 1,100 locations nationwide.
In the process, the fast-food chain and the delivery provider are giving away up to 200,000 free Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches through Tuesday, Nov. 20.
The giveaway is for customers who make a minimum order of $5 through the DoorDash app and website using the promotional code “CFADELIVERY.”
“So many of our guests’ busy lives and family commitments have them strapped for time,” Jon Bridges, Chick-fil-A’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “If they’re unable to come to us, we’ll come to them.”
Chick-fil-A began testing delivery last year, and last month opened a pair of delivery-only locations in Nashville and Louisville, Ky.
Still, the move adds the company’s considerable weight to the delivery trend. Chick-fil-A is the fastest growing big chain in the country. The chain’s sales are up 15% year to date, according to information from Technomic’s Transaction Insights.
U.S. system sales rose 14% last year, according to Technomic Ignite data. The company has more than 2,300 locations and generates more than $9 billion in annual system sales.
Chick-fil-A said that DoorDash will deliver everything on the chain’s menu. But delivery will only be made available to customers within a 10-minute radius of the restaurants to maintain “both DoorDash’s commitment to high-quality service and Chick-fil-A’s food quality.”
The company said it has begun integrating DoorDash into its point-of-sale system.
Chick-fil-A also said that in tests, 98% of customers said the food was consistent with what they expected. The company also said 90% of orders included waffle fries. Orders peaked during dinner and when the weather was bad, and sales were highest for restaurants near hospitals and universities.
Chick-fil-A did say that it is testing delivery in certain markets with other partners and with franchisees. The company also has a pickup service and mobile ordering through its smartphone app.