Chick-fil-A Clarifies Rumors of Testing New Southern-Inspired Sides

The restaurant chain says new menu items are only available at select locations, not nationwide.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Chick-fil-A is responding to online speculation about the company testing new southern-inspired side dishes like sweet potato waffle fries, fried okra, and cornbread. The restaurant chain says these items are currently only available at its Little Blue Menu innovation kitchen in College Park, Maryland, and at Truett's Group full-service locations in Georgia, but there are no plans to roll them out nationwide at this time.

Why it matters

Chick-fil-A is known for its classic menu items like waffle fries, so the rumored addition of more southern-style sides would be a significant menu expansion for the brand. While the new items are only available in a few select locations for now, this could signal a broader strategy to appeal to customers looking for more regional and homestyle options.

The details

According to a Chick-fil-A representative, the new southern-inspired sides like sweet potato waffle fries, sweet potato soufflé, sweet potato tots, fried okra, crispy brussels sprouts, onion rings, and cornbread are currently only available at the brand's Little Blue Menu innovation kitchen in College Park, Maryland, as well as at Truett's Group full-service restaurants in Georgia. These locations offer a broader menu and a sit-down dining experience compared to standard Chick-fil-A restaurants. The company says there are no immediate plans to roll out these new sides nationwide.

  • Chick-fil-A recently added two new menu items, a BLT and a Sweet Chili Chicken sandwich, to its Oklahoma and North Carolina restaurants.

The players

Chick-fil-A

An American fast food restaurant chain known for its chicken sandwiches and waffle fries.

Little Blue Menu

A separate "innovation kitchen" brand owned by Chick-fil-A, Inc. that features Chick-fil-A favorites and new menu items.

Truett's Group

Full-service restaurants within the Chick-fil-A brand that offer a broader menu and a sit-down atmosphere, located in Georgia and named after the company's founder, Truett Cathy.

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The takeaway

While Chick-fil-A is testing new southern-inspired side dishes at select locations, the company has no immediate plans to roll them out nationwide. This suggests the brand is carefully evaluating customer demand for these types of regional and homestyle menu items before potentially expanding them more broadly.