Fast food restaurant giant McDonald's
The Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich is a simple idea: a lightly breaded chicken breast with two pickles between a toasted, buttered bun. Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy basically invented the chicken sandwich in 1964 after an airline supplier asked him to take a delivery of smaller-sized chicken breasts, and the rest is history. Cathy used peanut oil, a healthy plant-based oil, and a pressure cooker to cook the chicken. He also devised a secret seasoning recipe for the breading that blends over 20 spices, which is secured in Chick-fil-A's Atlanta headquarters, much like Coca-Cola's
Popeyes' chicken sandwich debut this year was a big deal and marketing dream. When the restaurant chain first launched its $3.99 fried chicken sandwich in August, the new food item quickly sold out with long lines, and the firm sadly announced it ran out of supplies temporarily. But the chicken sandwich returned to Popeyes stores on November 4 amid tremendous hype, leading to a 267% surge in traffic to Popeyes. The traffic continued throughout the Thanksgiving holiday period, exceeding analysts' expectations with a continuing sales jump. But more than the financial boost, the Popeyes chicken sandwich is becoming a cultural phenomenon, with thousands of influencers and stars posting about it on Twitter
McDonald's does enjoy strong brand strength, and its stores are open on Sunday, unlike Chick-fil-A. However, in order for McDonald's Crispy Chicken to avoid becoming a short-lived fad and instead become a successful permanent menu staple, it should not only differentiate itself through unique taste but also spur some degree of social hype and excitement.
The author does not hold any positions in any of the securities above.
- 1. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/06/telsey-advisory-mcdonalds-new-chicken-sandwich-is-really-good.html
- 2. https://thechickenwire.chick-fil-a.com/inside-chick-fil-a/whats-so-original-about-the-original-chick-fil-a-chicken-sandwich
- 3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2019/12/08/now-we-know-how-big-the-crowds-were-when-popeyes-fried-chicken-sandwich-came-back/#567b6e0213c8