Chick-fil-A’s experimental side will show up again with its own beverage concept. | Photo courtesy of Chick-fil-A.
Add another major fast-food chain to the beverage boom.
Chick-fil-A this fall plans to open Daybright, a beverage-focused concept that will feature hot and cold coffee, smoothies, cold-pressed juices and food. It will not feature the Chick-fil-A menu.
The concept will open in an Atlanta suburb. It will be part of Red Wagon Ventures, a Chick-fil-A subsidiary designed to create new concepts and new services, the company said in an emailed statement. The name “Red Wagon” comes from the wagon the Chick-fil-a founder used with his first business venture, selling Coca-Cola to neighbors at the age of 6.
Chick-fil-A has registered the trademarks for both Red Wagon Ventures and Daybright.
Social media posts have revealed the location and the color scheme of the restaurant, featuring yellow, red, and dark and light blue.
Daybright will be the latest in a string of efforts by major fast-food chains to break into the beverage business. McDonald’s, Taco Bell and KFC have all created their own drink concepts, most of which will be in-store brands. Several other concepts, such as Wendy’s, have boosted their beverage offerings.
They’re all pushing for share of a drive-thru beverage market that is booming right now, as high-growth concepts like Dutch Bros, 7 Brew, Scooters and the dirty soda brand Swig are rapidly expanding into new markets.
It also continues a long string of surprising innovation out of the Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A. The chain has created its own Chick-fil-A Play app. It is testing drive-thru-only locations, walk-in-only locations in more urban areas. And it created the innovative concept Little Blue Menu.
🚨 CFA Update:
Daybright: Coffee & Refreshment
1️⃣ Interesting that Chick-fil-A’s version of @cosmcs is featuring not only cold/hot coffee but fruit & veggie based juices in addition to smoothies. Are we going to get some cold pressed juices out of this concept? 👀
2️⃣ After… https://t.co/e52415d1Cdpic.twitter.com/EKnh9qtsEG
— McFranchisee (@McFranchisee) September 23, 2025
p>Fast-food brands are pushing into the beverage business at a time when their own traffic has been relatively weak, at best. And that includes Chick-fil-A, which is coming off its slowest sales year in decades in 2024.
Beverages in theory can provide more occasions for fast-food brands because drinks are habitual and consumers are more likely to visit the same restaurant for a beverage multiple times per week than they would be for a sandwich. They also appeal to younger consumers, an obviously key demographic.
Restaurant Business parent company Informa Connect will be holding a three-day conference on the future of beverages Nov. 12-14 in Austin, Texas. For more information, click here.
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