McDonald’s launches new bid to compete in chicken sandwich wars

Quick service restaurant chain McDonald’s began selling two new fried chicken sandwich offerings this week, announcing plans to test the product in Knoxville, Tennessee and Houston, Texas.

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Two new fried chicken sandwiches from McDonald’s are being tested in select markets. (McDonald's).
Two new fried chicken sandwiches from McDonald’s are being tested in select markets. (McDonald's).

Quick service restaurant chain McDonald’s began selling two new fried chicken sandwich offerings this week, announcing plans to test the product in Knoxville, Tennessee and Houston, Texas.

Viral marketing made fried chicken sandwiches a cultural phenomenon in 2019. Rival quick service restaurants Popeyes and Chick-fil-a battled for chicken supremacy in what was quickly dubbed the chicken sandwich wars, with both brands seeing increases in sales and foot traffic.

A top priority for the brand

McDonald’s has been working on a new chicken sandwich for months. Last July, a group of franchise owners called chicken sandwiches a top priority for the brand to bring in more customers and better compete with quick service rivals.

“Fried chicken is definitely having a moment and I think McDonald’s has decided it's an area where they can win,” Tim Powell, an industry analyst and managing principal at industry consultancy Foodservice IP, told Nation’s Restaurant News.

The Crispy Chicken Sandwich is a fried chicken patty topped with butter and crinkle cut dill pickles, while the Deluxe Chicken Sandwich features tomatoes, lettuce and mayo. Both sandwiches are served on a potato roll. The suggested price of the Crispy Chicken Sandwich is $3.49 and the Deluxe version retails at $4.09.

The chicken filet used for both sandwiches is new to the brand, differentiating the new sandwiches from the McChicken and buttermilk crispy chicken sandwiches already available from McDonald’s.

Sales of the two sandwiches in the test markets began December 2 and will continue through January 26, 2020.

“Houston and Knoxville are getting a sneak peek, everyone else should stay tuned for what’s to come in 2020,” a McDonald’s spokesperson told USA Today.

The sandwich launch is McDonald’s second attempt to enter the fried chicken sandwich market. In 2018, the quick service restaurant trialed an Ultimate Chicken Sandwich at 160 locations throughout Washington State. McDonald’s is currently the top selling fast food chain in America, selling more than $38 billion worth of food in 2018.

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