Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has said that it will switch to a new chicken sandwich nationally in the US by the end of February, amid a fast food frenzy to win a share of the growing chicken market.
The company, which is owned by Yum Brands Inc, said that its existing Crispy Colonel Sandwich is not "living up to our legacy as experts in fried chicken", so it will eventually be pulled off of menus in favour of the KFC Chicken Sandwich.
McDonald's Corp confirmed this week that it will launch three new versions of a crispy chicken sandwich next month.
With burger chains entering the fray, even poultry purveyors are revamping their menus.
In 2019, a social media-fuelled feud over similar sandwiches between Chick-fil-A and Restaurant Brands International Inc's Popeyes sparked a rise in chicken sales across the industry and spurred other restaurants to announce competing menu items.
KFC's new sandwich will contain a quarter pound of white meat fillet - 25% larger than in its existing sandwich - that is double-breaded, fried and served on a new buttered brioche bun with thicker crinkle-cut pickles. It will include mayonnaise or spicy sauce.
The restaurant chain will roll out the new sandwiches beginning this week in Chicago, Kansas City, Louisville, Portland, St. Louis, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle and Tulsa, and expanding to all of its 4,000 US locations by the end of February, it said in a statement.
KFC's new sandwich will cost $3.99, in line with those from competitors.
Successful 2020 Test
KFC tested the new item in Orlando in 2020 and "nearly doubled our sales expectations," KFC US's chief marketing officer, Andrea Zahumensky, said in a statement.
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