KFC slugs Popeyes

Ups the ‘crispy’ in chicken-sandwich wars

KFC unveiled an extra crispy chicken sandwich on Thursday as it seeks to compete with a craze kicked off in 2019 by rival Popeyes.

KFC’s new $3.99 menu item, served on a brioche bun with the option of spicy mayo, comes just days after other fast-food rivals grabbed headlines with their own poultry additions.

Owned by Yum! Brands, KFC explained the rollout by telling Reuters its existing Crispy Colonel Sandwich was not “living up to our legacy as experts in fried chicken.”

Popeyes — owned by Restaurant Brands International — sparked the chicken wars in 2019 with a $3.99 sandwich that was so popular, it was often sold out. That prompted other chains, including burger joints like McDonald’s, to seek to compete.

The Golden Arches this week said it will launch three new versions of a crispy chicken sandwich in February. And Shake Shack this week introduced a limited-edition Korean-style chicken sandwich that will be available in its US stores through April 5.

The Korean-style Fried Chick’n will be paired with Korean-style fries, the company said.

Burger King, also owned by Restaurant Brands International, may also join the fray as it has been testing a “hand-breaded crispy chicken” sandwich in Arizona, according to restaurant analyst Mark Kalinowski.

KFC’s new sandwich, which was tested in Orlando, Fla., last year, is a double-breaded filet. It will come with the Colonel’s classic or spicy mayo and thicker pickles on a brioche bun.

“They tested pickles with eight variations of thickness and brines before we landed on our pickle,” chief marketing officer of KFC US Andrea Zahumensky said in a statement.

It’s initially available in select cities, including Chicago, Kansas City, Louisville, Portland and San Francisco. By the end of February, all 4,000 KFC locations in the US will have the sandwich, the company said.

“KFC has had a good year with same store sales that have been better than the average chain stores’ sales,” Kalinowski said.