The fight to eliminate Popeyes as king of the chicken sandwich heats up.
KFC is the latest fast food chain that is renovating its menu with a new chicken sandwich. Until the end of February, guests from all over the country will be able to order the new sandwich, which replaces the current offer.
Owned by Yum Brands Inc, KFC said its Crispy Colonel Sandwich “does not respect our legacy as experts in fried chicken,” the company said in a statement.
The new sandwich, which was tested in Orlando earlier this year, is a double bread fillet that is more crunchy, served on a brioche bun and comes with the colonel’s classic or spicy mayonnaise and thicker pickles.
“They tested the pickles with eight variations of thickness and brine before landing on our pickle,” KFC USA Marketing Director Andrea Zahumensky said in a statement earlier this year. “And for our perfect brioche, we worked with six different bakeries and tested more than ten formula reviews to find the right one to hug the bigger thread than ever before.”
Popeyes – owned by Restaurant Brands International – started the chicken wars in 2019 with a $ 3.99 sandwich, which was so popular that it was sold in many restaurants. This led other chains to look to compete, including burgers like McDonald’s.
Golden Arches said this week that it will launch three new versions of a crispy chicken sandwich in February. And Shake Shack announced this week a limited edition Korean-style chicken sandwich, which will be available in its stores in the US until April 5.
Korean-style Fried Chick’n will be paired with Korean-style french fries, the company said.
Burger King, also owned by Restaurant Brands International, could also join the fight as it tested a “crispy and crunchy bread” sandwich in Arizona, according to restaurant analyst Mark Kalinowski.
The new KFC sandwiches will first be available today in selected cities, including Chicago, Kansas City, Louisville, Portland and San Francisco, and by the end of February all 4,000 KFC locations in the US will have the $ 3.99 sandwich, a said the company.
“KFC had a good year, with the same store sales that were better than the average store chain sales,” Kalinowski said.
But the 68-year-old chain has a lot of competition – and was taken off his pedestal as the dominant chicken chain recently by Chick Fil A, Kalinowski added.