Burger King will replace its chicken sandwich as the competition intensifies

The chain said Wednesday that it is replacing its current crispy chicken sandwich with a new, hand-fried version. The new product, which is original or spicy, is made with a salt sauce and served with pickles on a potato sandwich. It will be available at Burger King restaurants across the country later this year.

The competition in the chicken sandwich space is fierce. Following the wild success of the launch of the Popeyes chicken sandwich in 2019, restaurants across the industry have launched or improved their own versions of the product. McDonald’s (MCD), which underlines its product with hoodies and other swag, is rolling out a trio of crunchy chicken sandwiches this month. Others, such as Wendy’s and KFC, also introduced new products.
Burger King will replace its current sandwich with a new version.

“Chicken has been identified as an opportunity for growth in the industry, with chicken almost [twice] the size of beef worldwide and growing faster, “writes Lauren Silberman, an analyst at Credit Suisse, in a recent note. We expect the competition to heat up in 2021. ”

Burger King hopes the new product will improve sales in the key area.

“Chicken is a big business for us,” said Ellie Doty, Burger King’s chief marketing officer.

“If the gas goes to a top-quality chicken sandwich, they might be going somewhere else now,” she added. “We increase our game.”

Burger King has been working on the new sandwich since 2019. He tested the sandwich in some markets to make sure the new product did not slow down restaurants, and to find out how the price of the new product could be priced.

The current crispy chicken sandwich sells for about $ 5, depending on the market. Burger King tested sales of the new sandwich for about $ 1 less.

.Source