KFC is finally updating its fried chicken sandwich after finding itself trying to catch up with rival chain sandwiches in recent years. The appropriately titled “KFC Chicken Sandwich” features an extra crispy chicken fillet placed on a buttered brioche bread and topped with pickles and spicy or classic mayonnaise.
The new sandwich is available Thursday in nine cities across the United States: Chicago, Kansas City, Louisville, Portland, St. Louis, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle and Tulsa. It will be rolled out gradually to KFC’s 4,000 restaurants across the country over the next two months and fans can follow the sandwich’s arrival on a special website.
The sandwich costs $ 3.99 a la carte or $ 6.99 for a combined meal with chips and an average drink.
KFC tested the sandwich last June at 15 restaurants in Orlando. At the time, Andrea Zahumensky, director of marketing for KFC, told CNN Business that the redesigned sandwich “sports an update of each component” and she believes the chain “will now be able to compete”.
KFC Chicken Sandwich will replace the chain’s current “Crispy Coronel” sandwich.
“‘Crispy Colonel’ has a lot of fans, but we knew we could do better and it was not good enough for us,” she said.
The first results for the new chicken sandwich are positive: sales during the test doubled KFC’s expectations, according to a press release. “Many customers have not considered KFC to be part of the conversation about chicken sandwiches, but anyone who tastes that sandwich will undoubtedly know that we are playing to win,” said Zahumensky.
Owner Yum! Brands (YUM) reported mixed results for KFC in its third quarter earnings. Global same-store sales fell 7%, but increased 9% in the U.S. compared to the same quarter of 2019. The increase was attributed to an increase in digital and drive-thru sales, which will be instrumental in the restaurant’s redesign.
Chicken is a winner
Fried chicken sandwiches remain a popular item for fast food restaurants, as customers want affordable, comfortable food.
Popeyes sparked the war when it first introduced the popular menu item in August 2019. Customers flocked to the chain and the sandwich sold out in less than two weeks. The company said at the time that the “extraordinary demand” took her by surprise and took several months to return.
And it’s still popular: sales at Popeyes restaurants open at least 17 months increased 17.4% globally in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the same period last year, thanks to the sandwich. Popeyes, which is owned by Restaurant Brands International (QSR), also controls Burger King and Tim Hortons. Popeyes was the only company brand to report an increase in sales during the quarter ended September 30.
McDonalds (MCD) it is also launching three new chicken sandwiches next month: The Crispy Chicken Sandwich, topped with pickles and served on a potato roll; the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, which adds a spicy pepper sauce; and the Deluxe Chicken Sandwich, which comes with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.
Like its competitors, McDonald’s believes that chicken is a good bet.
“Globally, the chicken category is almost twice as big as beef,” said Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s in the US, in November. “It is growing faster and represents a significant opportunity,” he said. “Developing an excellent chicken reputation represents one of our greatest aspirations. We want customers to choose McDonald’s for chicken.”
Wendy’s (WEN) added a new chicken sandwich to the menus last fall. His classic chicken sandwich has replaced the Homestyle chicken sandwich, which has been on Wendy’s menu for about a decade. Smaller chains, like Shake Shack (SHAK), Church’s and Whataburger, also launched variations of a chicken sandwich.
Of course, the chicken also proved to be a successful formula for Chick-fil-A, the 73-year-old chain that has a devoted fan base, despite its controversial past. The private brand is continually growing its reach, surpassing chicken chains almost twice its size. It added about 1,000 locations and nearly tripled its sales in the past decade.
– Danielle Wiener-Bronner of CNN Business contributed to this report.
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