Chicken sandwich wars continue: McDonald’s adding 3 to menu in February, company says
Chicken sandwich fans won’t have to wait long to try one of McDonald’s three new offerings — they hit menus in February, the restaurant chain announced Monday.
News broke in November that McDonald’s would enter the chicken sandwich wars with the Crispy Chicken Sandwich sometime in early 2021.
Now, the Golden Arches has announced a date: The Crispy Chicken sandwich — and two others — will be available on Feb. 24, McDonald’s said in a news release.
The Crispy Chicken Sandwich is reminiscent of Chick-fil-A’s iconic offering — both sandwiches feature pickles and are served on a buttered bun.
The Crispy Chicken Sandwich will also come in a deluxe version with tomatoes, lettuce and mayo as well as a spicy version with a spicy pepper sauce, McDonald’s said. Chick-fil-A serves a spicy sandwich which gets its kick from spicy-seasoned chicken.
“We’ve heard our customers loud and clear, and we know they’re craving more chicken options,” McDonald’s Vice President of Menu Innovation Linda VanGosen said in the release. “We’re confident all chicken fans – from traditionalists to spice enthusiasts – will discover a new menu favorite they’ll come back for time and time again.”
McDonald’s tested the Crispy Chicken Sandwich in select restaurants in Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia last year, along with the Deluxe Crispy Chicken Sandwich, McClatchy News previously reported.
“We need to stay focused on coming up with a chicken sandwich our customers are going to crave,” McDonald’s National Owners Association (NOA) wrote in an internal message in January, according to McClatchy. “A chicken sandwich that gives our customers another reason to visit McDonald’s.”
Some experts say they’re skeptical McDonald’s sandwiches will be of the same quality as other popular options.
“I would bet big time that McDonald’s never competes in the chicken business,” restaurant marketing consultant Chas Hermann told Reuters. “They’ll definitely improve their chicken sandwich. It won’t win awards. They will have some of the very best marketing around it.”
These won’t be the first chicken sandwiches to grace the Golden Arches — McDonald’s already serves the McChicken sandwich — a crispy chicken fillet, shredded iceberg lettuce and mayo on a toasted bun.
The release will put the Crispy Chicken Sandwich in direct competition with Popeyes, which made a splash last year when it took on Chick-fil-A with the release of its own chicken sandwich.
This kicked off what’s since been dubbed the “chicken sandwich wars.”
In the months that followed, several restaurant chains released their own chicken sandwiches, including Wendy’s, Church’s Chicken and Whataburger.
This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 8:55 AM with the headline "Chicken sandwich wars continue: McDonald’s adding 3 to menu in February, company says."