About that Chick-fil-A ‘gluten-free bun’ — there’s a catch

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

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By Mark Fisher
June 21, 2017
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The new Gluten-Free Bun announced by Chick-fil-A this week does come with at least one catch — and maybe two, depending on your budget.

First, even though the gluten-free buns are individually packaged and certified to be free of gluten, customers “will be required to assemble their own sandwiches,” Chick-fil-A officials said in their release. That will reduce the risk of cross-contamination, since Chick-fil-A kitchens are not gluten-free, company officials said.

RELATED: Free breakfast item Tuesdays at Dayton-area Chick-fil-A restaurants

In addition, the new buns will add $1.15 to the price of any sandwich. When the product was being test-marketed, the Gluten-Free Bun was most commonly ordered with Chick-fil-A’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich and the Grilled Chicken Deluxe Sandwich, company officials said.

Chick-fil-A is offering a gluten-free bun option — but you’ll have to build the sandwich yourself. SUBMITTED

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Of course, the additional sandwich-assembly duties and cost will likely be a small price to pay for those with gluten sensitivity. Health data suggests that as many as 18 million Americans have a gluten sensitivity or preference, and Chick-fil-A is one of the few fast-food restaurant chains to offer a gluten-free bun, company officials said.

RELATED: Chicken competition intensifies with new-restaurant openings

Chick-fil-A unveiled the new bun in response to customers’ requests for more gluten-free/gluten-sensitive options on the menu. It is made with grains quinoa and amaranth and enriched with vitamins and minerals, as well as lightly sweetened with molasses and raisins.

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

“We know our customers are looking for more gluten-sensitive alternatives. They asked, and we listened,” Leslie Neslage, senior consultant of menu development at Chick-fil-A, said in the release. “We heard positive feedback in test markets that the bun tastes better than some other gluten-free breads. … Our hope is that the Gluten-Free Bun addition opens up options for gluten-sensitive customers to enjoy more of our menu.”

OPENING DAY: Chick-fil-A sets dates for TWO new Dayton-area locations (December 2016)

Chick-fil-A operates eight locations in the region, including two that opened on the same day in January 2017 — in Kettering and in Troy — as well as a restaurant that opened last year in Cornerstone of Centerville. Another location in Washington Twp completed a $1 million makeover in late 2016.

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About the Author

Mark Fisher, a 1981 graduate of Ohio State University and a 1976 graduate of Beavercreek High School, is a third-generation Dayton-area resident who has worked for the Dayton Daily News since 1983. He covered higher education and K-12 education accountability issues for nearly 20 years before taking over the food and dining beat in 2006.