Here's What Time Chick-Fil-A Stops Serving Breakfast

Of all the fast food chains you can choose from for breakfast, Chick-fil-A has to be one of the most popular. It's home to one of the top-ranked breakfast sandwiches, after all, and with only two states that don't have a single Chick-fil-A location, it's a ubiquitous option too. But no matter how badly you're craving a signature chicken biscuit or chicken minis, you'll have to place your order earlier than you might expect. That's because Chick-fil-A stops serving breakfast at 10:30 a.m.

While it might be tempting to ask if there are any biscuits leftover, many locations stick to the hard cut-off time to prevent backing up the kitchen. From people changing shifts to swapping over the kitchen equipment to prep food for lunch and dinner, breakfast must have a timely end for a variety of reasons. Keeping a streamlined setup also helps the chain maintain the quality of its food and service. It's also worth noting that many locations are simply out of their allotted breakfast items for the morning by mid-morning.

If ending breakfast service at 10:30 a.m. seems a little early, it's likely because it is earlier than a few fast food chains. Places like McDonald's, Subway, and Taco Bell all serve breakfast until 11:00 a.m., at least at most locations. Meanwhile, breakfast-centric chains like Starbucks, Dunkin', Sonic, Jack in the Box, and White Castle serve breakfast all day, so you can indulge in your breakfast cravings anytime. But just because these chains offer breakfast later — or anytime at all — doesn't mean Chick-fil-A is alone in shutting down breakfast at 10:30 a.m. Wendy's, Panera, Burger King, Carl's Jr., and Hardee's all fall into this category, too.

So, the next time nothing but Chick-fil-A will do for breakfast, make sure you allow yourself enough time to get through the drive-thru before the menu is cut off. Also, don't forget that you can order ahead on the app, and read through a few other tips to avoid 14 mistakes when ordering at Chick-fil-A.