How does Chick-fil-A decide what to add to its menu?

You may have already seen our tantalizing list of items that are no longer on Chick-fil-A's national menu, such as spicy chicken crackers or cinnamon bunches. But have you ever wondered what exactly led to the decision of the Georgia-based channel to add or remove menu items?

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Amanda Norris, executive director of the Chick-fil-A menu, recently briefed Business Insider on the five-step strategy behind the chain's decision-making process.

Norris said it took about 18 to 24 months for a new idea to actually be presented to restaurants. With the help of Ford Fry leader in Atlanta, Chick-fil-A employees are seeking their inspiration across the country. Norris told Insider that this first step in her creation is based on understanding.

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The second step is where the imagination comes in. Regardless of the end product, Chick-fil-A considers "a detailed plan" and "applies these ideas to customers," said Insider. At this point, up to 50 imaginative options could be considered simultaneously.

Chick-fil-A recently revealed that it could explore vegan options, for example, is part of this second step.

Then Norris told Insider that the prototype development came next. Once the channel has an idea of ​​how customers are responding to certain products at the "Imagine" stage, the restaurant is starting to create prototypes for testing. If there are 50 options in the previous step, they could create 20 prototypes during development.

Once the prototypes have been developed, they are validated and tested. In this fourth step, customers can test a potential menu item in some stores.

"Essentially, we try to think about different geographical areas, different types of concepts, different sales volumes because we really want to get an idea of ​​… Is that selling well in New York? Is it selling well in Atlanta? Why not in Los Angeles? Norris said at the site.

For example, the restaurant recently experimented with its Spicy Chick-n-Strips by displaying the article in Philadelphia and Texas, and then in Phoenix.

"We are only seeing it grow – just looking at what we sell in our spicy sandwich," Norris said earlier this month. "So, I think you're going to see Chick-fil-A do more with spicy."

And finally, we are at the launch stage. But according to Norris, the deployment process does not just follow the tests immediately. Sometimes there are adjustments to make. After all, "something has to win its place on the menu," she said.

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