New KFC chicken sandwich
KFC
KFC is starting 2021 with entering chicken sandwich wars.
The latest addition from the Yum Brands series replaces Colonel Crispy’s sandwich in a bid to gain an advantage over his rivals.
The competition began more than a year ago with the launch of Popeyes ’version of the classic, featuring crispy chicken on a buttery brioche base with spicy mayo or Cajun sauce. Since its inception, the sandwich has helped drive double-digit sales growth of the same store for the Restaurant Brands International chain each season.
McDonald’s will step into the ring next month. They’re all trying to see some of the movement that Chick-fil-A saw a few years ago as it became the third-largest-selling restaurant chain, behind McDonald’s and Starbucks.
Starting Thursday, a KFC sandwich is available at select restaurants in Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Louisville, Kentucky, Sacramento, California, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. By the end of February, it will be available nationwide in all 4,000 U.S. KFC restaurants. McDonald’s three chicken sandwiches will appear on Feb. 24 across the U.S.
In the spring, KFC tested the sandwich in Orlando, Florida, and it almost doubled their original sales forecasts.
“Not many customers have considered KFC as part of the chicken sandwich conversation, but anyone who tastes this sandwich will know, of course, that we are playing for a win,” he said. Andrea Zahumensky, chief marketing officer of KFC US
The sandwich consists of a quarter pound brisket with a double loaf of bread, toasted brioche base, pickles and either mayo or spicy sauce. The KFC version is similar to the ingredients of those of Popeyes, McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A. They all use a loaf of bread, a base of brioche and a pickle. The main difference is the method of bread and fries, which affects texture and taste.
Shares of Yum, which has a market value of $ 31.8 billion, have risen 3% in the past year. While KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have quickly recovered in the U.S., their international outlets have taken more time to kick back from the coronavirus pandemic.