Chick-fil-A, the beloved fast-food restaurant, is making headlines as it settles a class-action lawsuit, agreeing to pay approximately $4.4 million to customers who claimed the chain inflated menu prices for delivery orders. The settlement, reached in October, allows eligible customers to claim a $29 gift card or direct cash payment.
The lawsuit, filed in Georgia on October 3, involves six plaintiffs who accused Chick-fil-A of secretly increasing prices for online orders during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Despite the restaurant promoting “free delivery” or “low-price delivery,” the plaintiffs alleged that Chick-fil-A surreptitiously raised menu prices exclusively for delivery orders, reaching markups as high as 30%.
Customers reportedly paid at least five to six dollars more for items on the delivery menu compared to in-person purchases or pickup orders. The suit claimed that, on delivery orders only, Chick-fil-A marked up food prices by a hefty 25-30%.
While Chick-fil-A did not admit guilt in the settlement, the restaurant has agreed to pay out $4.4 million to affected customers. Eligible customers, residing in New Jersey, California, Florida, Georgia, and New York, who placed delivery orders between November 1, 2019, and April 30, 2021, can claim a $29 gift card or direct cash payment.