Popular chicken-based fast food chain Chick-fil-A announced Monday the debut of a new gluten-free bun.
Chick-fil-A's new bun will cost an extra $1.15 and comes individually packaged so that customers will have to assemble their own sandwiches, avoiding cross-contamination from the kitchen.
While Chick-fil-A previously offered a handful of gluten-free options, they are now following the lead in what has been a recent success of restaurants such as Shake Shack and Red Robin Gourmet rolling out gluten-free bun options. McDonalds is also rumored to be testing similar products at select locations in The Netherlands.
Chik-fil-A decided to release their new gluten-free bun after increasing consumer demand for a larger variety of gluten-free options at their restaurants. "Our hope is that the gluten-free bun addition opens up options for gluten-sensitive customers to enjoy more of our menu," said Leslie Neslage, senior consultant of menu development. "They asked, and we listened."
What's more, this is no run-of-the-mill gluten-free bun. The new bun is made from quinoa and amaranth, lightly sweetened with molasses and raisins, and dusted with cornmeal. It is 150 calories. "The texture of the bun is not too heavy, and is most similar to a muffin -- soft and springy, not crumbly or dry. It tastes good eaten right out of the package and does not require toasting," Leslie explained.
The catch? You have to assemble your own sandwich. This may seem silly to those who don't understand anything about cross-contamination risks, but to us the reasoning behind it is clear. Chick-fil-A kitchens are obviously not gluten-free, and they want to make sure that your gluten-free sandwich doesn't come in contact with gluten.
Has anyone been to Chick-fil-A to try out the bun yet? We'd love to hear what you think!
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