With no queue chaos, it was all smiles at Chick-fil-A’s first Singapore pop-up (2025)

SINGAPORE – It was certainly all “chicken and smiles” on the first day of American fast-food chain Chick-fil-A’s pop-up on June 26 at Esplanade Mall.

There was none of the expected queueing chaos or empty-handed customers being turned away from similar events, such as the recent pop-up by American burger chain In-N-Out on May 31, where 500 burgers were sold out before its official opening time.

On June 3, 600 tickets were released via Chick-fil-A’s online ticketing system, for dine-in at designated time slots during its three-day pop-up from June 26 to 28. The tickets were sold out within 90 minutes.

For every ticket booked, diners had to make a $10 donation to Community Chest Singapore, which will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Chick-fil-A.

Each person could reserve a maximum of two tickets, each guaranteeing one set meal of a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, waffle fries and a drink, which costs around US$10 (S$13.50).

Singapore is the first Asian country that Chick-fil-A has hosted a pop-up in.

On June 24, Chick-fil-A announced via Instagram that 200 meals a day would be available for takeaway, starting from 11am.

By 10.30am on June 26, 30 people were in queue outside the pop-up at Aniplus Cafe in the hopes of securing a meal. By 1.30pm, all 200 meals were redeemed.

First in line was student Jayson Wong, 21, who arrived at 6.45am.

“I came early under the presumption that it would be just as chaotic as (the) In-N-Out (pop-up),” he said. “This will be my first time trying it, and I’m just hoping it’s a good chicken sandwich.”

At 9am, Chick-fil-A staff distributed queue numbers to the first 10 in line, and instructed them to return at 10.30am. They also handed out water bottles and fans to those waiting in line.

Each person could obtain only one meal, and customers were encouraged to make a donation of at least $5 to Community Chest Singapore in exchange for it, although it was not compulsory to do so.

Diners who obtained a ticket for the pop-up enjoyed the full extent of Chick-fil-A’s hospitality.

Around 30 of them were welcomed into Aniplus Cafe at 11am and greeted at the door with a personalised name card by the brand’s hosts, before being seated.

They were also given a choice of two dipping sauces from four of the brand’s most popular options – Chick-fil-A, Sweet & Spicy Sriracha, Honey Mustard and Herb Garden Ranch.

One of the first to get their hands on a sandwich was American Brian Scott, 53, who works in the aviation industry.

“I’ve been a Chick-fil-A fan for most of my life since I had my first sandwich at home in the US, over 30 years ago,” he said. “I don’t eat fast food but this is a different category for me.”

According to him, his sandwich “tastes exactly like it does in the US”.

Mr Scott even recced the venue on June 25 to make sure he knew where it was located: “I’ve heard of these things getting crazy, so I wanted to be sure.”

Fellow diner Michele Chang, a 35-year-old insurance agent, booked two tickets at the encouragement of her friend, who tried Chick-fil-A on a trip to the US.

“It’s my first time trying. It’s delicious, the chicken is really moist,” she said.

Along with their meal, diners received a bingo card with various activities that allowed them to redeem a plush toy of Chick-fil-A’s cow mascot when completed.

Each seating runs for an hour, and the pop-up is open from 11am to 2pm and 3 to 7pm.

According to Chick-fil-A’s spokesperson, the online ticketing system was an important part of conveying the brand’s hospitality. “We thought, how could we care for guests, especially as the weather in Singapore is punishing? We did not want them to be queueing,” she said.

On why Chick-fil-A decided to have all proceeds from the pop-up go towards charity, she said “philanthropy is a big focus at Chick-fil-A, and we wanted to pay it forward”.

Singapore will serve as a test market for the brand before it evaluates its next steps. The ongoing pop-ups are part of Chick-fil-A’s expansion into Europe and Asia, which it aims to achieve by 2025.

“Singapore is a melting pot of culture, as well as a nation of foodies, so it was a good place to start,” the spokeswoman added.

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