KFC is finally updating its fried chicken sandwich after catching up with sandwiches from rival chains in recent years. The aptly titled “KFC Chicken Sandwich” features an extra crispy chicken breast on a buttered brioche bun and garnished with pickles and spicy or classic mayonnaise.
The new sandwich will be available Thursday in nine US cities: Chicago, Kansas City, Louisville, Portland, St. Louis, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle and Tulsa. It will roll 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 dedicated website.
The sandwich costs $ 3.99 a la carte or $ 6.99 for a combo meal with chips and a medium drink.
KFC tested the sandwich in 15 Orlando restaurants last June. Andrea Zahumensky, KFC’s chief marketing officer, told CNN Business at the time that the reformulated sandwich “has an upgrade of every single component” and believes the chain will “now be able to compete.”
The KFC Chicken Sandwich replaces the chain’s current sandwich, the “Crispy Colonel.”
“The ‘Crispy Colonel’ has a lot of fans, but we knew we could do better and it wasn’t good enough for us,” she said.
Initial results for the new chicken sandwich are positive: sales during the trial doubled KFC’s expectations, according to a press release. “Many customers had not considered KFC as part of the chicken sandwich, but anyone who tastes this sandwich knows without a doubt that we are playing to win,” said Zahumensky.
Owner Yum! Brands(YUM) reported mixed results for KFC in its third quarter results. Global in-store sales were down 7% but were up 9% in the US compared to the same quarter in 2019. The increase was attributed to a boost in digital and drive-thru sales, both of which will take center stage in the redesign of the restaurant.
Chicken is a winner
Fried chicken sandwiches remain a popular item for fast food restaurants as customers crave affordable and comfortable food.
Popeyes started 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 “extraordinary demand” took the company by surprise and it took several months for it to return.
And it’s still popular: Sales in Popeyes restaurants that have been open for at least 17 months globally increased 17.4% in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the same period last year, thanks to the sandwich. Popeyes, owned by Brands International restaurant(QSR), also runs Burger King and Tim Hortons. Popeyes was the company’s only brand to report an increase in sales during the quarter ended September 30.
McDonald’s(MCD) will also roll out three new chicken sandwiches next month: The Crispy Chicken Sandwich, garnished with pickles and served on a potato bun; the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, which adds a spicy peppercorn sauce; and the Deluxe Chicken Sandwich, which comes with lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo.
Like its peers, McDonald’s believes chicken is a good bet.
“Globally, the chicken category is almost twice the size of beef,” Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, noted in November. “It is growing faster and presents a significant opportunity,” he said. “Developing a reputation for great chicken represents one of our highest aspirations. We want customers to choose McDonald’s for chicken.”
Wendy’s(WEN) added a new chicken sandwich to menus last fall. The Classic Chicken Sandwich replaced the Homestyle Chicken Sandwich, which has been on Wendy’s menu for about a decade. Smaller chains, such as Shake Shack(SHAKE), Church’s and Whataburger, have also released variations on a chicken sandwich.
Of course, Kip has also proven 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 steadily expanding its reach and selling chicken chains nearly twice as big. It has added approximately 1,000 locations and nearly tripled its sales in the past decade.
Danielle Wiener-Bronner of CNN Business contributed to this report.
