How Chick-fil-A uses 5 steps to decide what items - from spicy chicken to brownies - to add to the menu

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Chick-fil-A is known for its iconic menu items.

• Chick-fil-A has a five step process for rolling out new menu items.
• It takes 18 to 24 months to go from an idea to an actual menu item, according to Amanda Norris, the executive director of Chick-fil-A's menu.
• Here are the steps that Chick-fil-A takes to create new menu items.

ATLANTA, Georgia - Chick-fil-A is known for its iconic menu items: its chicken sandwich, waffle fries, Chick-fil-A sauce.

And, in an industry inundated with stunt menu items, it is rare for Chick-fil-A to add something new to the menu.

According to Amanda Norris, the executive director of Chick-fil-A's menu, this scarcity of new menu items is a purposeful, strategic move.

Read more: Chick-fil-A's mobile sales are skyrocketing as execs say the chicken chain is entering a new tech-obsessed era

Every new item that gets added to the menu at Chick-fil-A has to go through a five step process. In fact, every initiative at Chick-fil-A goes through the same series of steps, whether it is a new mobile app or a different delivery feature.

Here is how Chick-fil-A decides what to add to the menu.