Burger King will replace its chicken sandwich as the competition gets tough

The chain said on Wednesday that it is replacing its current crispy chicken sandwich with a new breaded version. The new product, which comes in the original or spicy, is made with a tasty signature sauce and served with pickles on potato bread. It will be available at Burger King restaurants across the country later this year.

Competition in the chicken sandwich space is fierce. After the great success of the launch of the Popeyes chicken sandwich in 2019, restaurants across the industry have been launching or improving their own versions of the product. McDonalds (MCD), which is promoting its product with sweatshirts and other gifts, is launching a trio of crispy chicken sandwiches this month. Others, like Wendy’s and KFC, have also launched new products.
Burger King will replace its current sandwich with a new version.

“Chicken was identified as an opportunity for growth in the entire sector, with chicken almost [twice] beef size globally and growing at a faster rate, “wrote Lauren Silberman, an analyst at Credit Suisse, in a recent note.” We expect competition to heat up in 2021. ”

Burger King expects the new product to improve sales in the key area.

“Chicken is big business for us,” said Ellie Doty, director of marketing for Burger King.

“If the guest is going for a high quality chicken sandwich, they may be going elsewhere now,” she added. “We are improving our game.”

Burger King has been working on the new sandwich since 2019. It is testing the sandwich in some markets to ensure that the new product does not slow down restaurants and to figure out how to price the new item.

The current crispy chicken sandwich sells for about $ 5, depending on the market. Burger King tested the sale of the new sandwich for about $ 1 less.

.Source