Fast food restaurant giant McDonald's (MCD  ) is slated to debut a new Crispy Chicken sandwich early next year, and the move could shake up the rapidly changing fast food landscape. Bob Derrington, managing director and senior research analyst at the Telsey Advisory Group, wrote that the new chicken sandwich "tastes really good" and will "usher in a successful new US lineup of better-quality chicken in 2020 and 2021." The McDonald's chicken sandwich uses a different recipe than the heavily battered Buttermilk Crispy Chicken, instead being lightly battered, juicier, and more flavorful than the older sandwich. The new Crispy Chicken features a full muscle chicken breast, lightly breaded with a sweet fried flour coating, and is served on a buttered and toasted brioche potato bun and topped with two crinkle-cut pickle chips. McDonald's plans to sell the chicken sandwich for just $3.49. If the Crispy Chicken is indeed as delicious as some analysts believe, then it could transform the chicken sandwich war currently dominated by Popeyes (QSR  ), Wendy's (WEN  ), and Chick-fil-A.

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 (KO  ) secret recipe. Since the invention of the chicken sandwich, the food item has been an indisputable hit, consumed by many millions of Americans and people across the globe. The classic Chick-fil-A sandwich currently costs $3.79 apiece.

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 (TWTR  ), Facebook (FB  ), YouTube (GOOGL  ), Reddit, Snap (SNAP  ), and more. The new entrance of a legitimate contender for Chick-fil-A's longstanding crown excites people.

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.