The Real Reason Why There's A Hole In The Chick-Fil-A's Nugget Box

If there's one thing the internet loves, it's a good fast food hack. Whether it's how to hack a menu item for less money, or how to hack a ketchup cup for easier dipping, the masses cannot get enough of these game-changing tips. And when that hack involves everyone's favorite chicken joint, that's even better. The latest and greatest hack to hit the net involves Chick-fil-A's chicken nugget box, and the discovery predictably went viral. 

Most of us probably haven't paid too much attention to the three punchable holes on the back of the nugget box. Who cares about the box when there are delicious fried chicken bites to be eaten, right? But one CFA customer noticed the holes, and figured out a way to put them to good use. 

But genius as this hack may look at first glance, you have to wonder if it really works in practice, or if it could even be a bit dangerous. Is this the real reason for those holes? Chick-fil-A has the answer.

So what is this Chick-fil-A nugget box hack everyone is talking about? Feast your eyes on this life-altering discovery (pictured here). The hole at the back of the nugget box (supposedly) exists so you can perch your nuggets atop your soft drink and have a place in which to thread your straw through. In one hand, you can hold your soda, your chicken pieces, and even your dip that you've nestled into the box. And now your other hand is free to dunk, drive, change the radio station, and text to your heart's content. Amazing. Or is it?

Because this is the internet, responses on social media ranged from "genius!" to "nope." One Chick-fil-A employee marveled, "I've worked at CFA for 4 years. I've never seen such innovation." Another tweeter took the wind out of everyone's sails, saying, "It's all fun and games until someone taps it on the side with a touch lighter than a feather and it goes flying 3284729457 miles and all your nuggets are on the ground." 

It does seem like a bit of a risky set-up, doesn't it?

The nay-sayers of the internet weren't buying that the holes on the Chick-fil-A nugget box exist just so customers can poke their straws through them, and they took to Reddit to discuss the situation.

One Redditor commented that the hack just didn't make any sense, saying, "This does not explain the other two tabs. If you tried using them for this purpose it would be off balance for the larger boxes and on small cup sizes. You have to rip the tab out just to do this and Chick-fil-A does not do that to the boxes... Just because you can use the holes like this does not mean that is why they are there." Score one for the power of logic.

Another user offered up their theory on why the box has holes, saying, "Always thought it was for air ventilation for the chicken pieces." A plausible explanation, to be sure. Nobody likes soggy chicken nuggets.

Regardless of the "real" reason for the holes on the Chick-fil-A nugget box, the hack had to be tested. It didn't take long for social media users to post their attempts at recreating the hack, and, we hate to be the bearer or bad news, but it looks like this one is a big #fail.

Skeptical of the hack, Wayne Polk Jr. took to Facebook Live to prove its flaws. He reconstructed the box-on-soda tower, complete with dipping sauce inside the box, and proceeded to (try) to take a sip of his drink. Things didn't quite work out though, as the length of the straw requires that you get up close and personal with the box of nuggets. In Polk's case, he ended up with a beard full of dipping sauce, prompting him to proclaim, "That makes no sense!" Commenters surmised that a longer straw would help, but unless you're carrying an extra-long straw around in your pocket, you're going to have to use what CFA gives you. 

Let's say that you still think this Chick-fil-A nugget box trick is genius. You don't care if your chin gets dipped in sauce while you sip your soda — it's the ultimate driving while eating hack. It frees up one hand for the wheel, unless you're dunking a nugget, of course, then it leaves no hands for the wheel, which obviously isn't the optimal number of hands to have on the wheel. 

According to a 2014 study, those who are driving while eating are 3.6 times more likely to be involved in an accident than those who aren't. In fact, it's almost as dangerous as texting while driving. Another study showed that "80 percent of collisions and 65 percent of near collisions involve some form of driver distraction," and, you guessed it, eating is one of the principal actions that cause distracted driving.

Bottom line: If you're going to test out the nugget box hack, it's probably best not to attempt it behind the wheel.

At this point, it's pretty clear that the holes on the back of the Chick-fil-A nugget box do not exist so that we have a place to stick our straws through. It was fun while it lasted though, right?

So what's the real reason for the holes on the box? No, it's not ventilation to prevent soggy chicken, as one Redditor surmised. According to the company, who spoke to Today, the three punchable tabs indicate what's in the box — nuggets, strips, or other. CFA team members poke the appropriate tab so that others know what's inside the box without having to open it. 

And what does Chick-fil-A think of the nugget box hack? It doesn't sound like they're on board with this stroke of genius that got the internet all riled up. A spokesperson stressed that the company "is not recommending customers put the straw through the hole — that's just not what it's intended for."

Now that you know what those holes on the nugget box are really for, and how messy it can be to execute the hack, and how potentially dangerous it is to use the hack while driving, maybe you've written it off completely. But we wouldn't leave you without a real Chick-fil-A nugget hack, and this one is even recommended by the company itself.

It's perfectly acceptable to dunk your chicken nuggets in the sauce one bite at a time, but if you're a fan of Buffalo wings, you'll want to take things a step further than that dainty little dip. To get the saucy wing effect, all you've got to do is pour a container of sauce directly into the nugget box (don't forget to make sure those holes are all sealed up), close the lid, and shake, shake, shake. And just like that, you've hacked your way to Chick-fil-A Buffalo style nuggets. You're welcome!