Chick-fil-A begins test of spicy new item in Salt Lake City market

SALT LAKE CITY — Chick-fil-A is once again turning to one of its busiest markets to test out an item that it could roll out nationwide in the future.

The fast-food chain is now serving a new jalapeno ranch club chicken sandwich that is exclusive to the Salt Lake City area for the next month, the company said. They note that the club comes with pepper jack cheese, strips of “caramelized onion flavored candied bacon,” as well as lettuce, tomato and pickled jalapenos.

Customers have the option to order it with Chick-fil-A’s original or spicy chicken filet, or on a grilled filet. It’s also served on a toasted buttermilk ranch bun.

“It pairs well with a side of Jalapeño Ranch Sauce for an extra kick of flavor,” the company added.

Other test markets for Chick-fil-A

The item hit Salt Lake City area stores on Monday and remains through July 19, before the company decides on whether to roll it out nationwide. It’s also testing a new creamy BBQ chicken sandwich in the Jacksonville, Florida, area.

The Atlanta-based company has turned to Utah for help in testing new items a few times in recent years. Salt Lake City was also one of four markets that got to test out its Icedream Spin and Icedream Float items earlier this year.

Utahns also got the first taste of its “autumn spice” milkshake in 2021 before it was rolled out nationwide the following year, marking its first new milkshake flavor in four years at the time. Company officials explained that they picked Salt Lake City because it was the company’s largest milkshake consumer.

However, its other items also seem to be popular in Utah. Chick-fil-A was the most-visited fast-food chain in Utah during the first quarter of this year, drawing in nearly 198,000 visits per location, according to Mountain West Commercial Real Estate.