Burger King testing upgraded spicy chicken sandwich
New Burger King chicken sandwich will debut in May, major franchisee says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Will Burger King be the next chicken sandwich king?
The restaurant is the latest chain to enter the fast-food "chicken war" fray, with the debut of a new chicken sandwich of its own this year, Restaurant Business reported.
Burger King’s largest franchisee, Carrols Restaurant Group, shared the news with investors this week, according to the report. The Syracuse, New York-based operator of 1,009 Burger King locations said the new sandwich will feature fresh, no frozen, chicken that is hand-breaded.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Burger King is set to become the latest eatery to join the "chicken sandwich war" with the debut of a new chicken sandwich of its own this year. (iStock)
Carrols expects to add the new sandwich to all its restaurants by May, according to the report.
A Burger King representative didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry from Fox News.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Burger Beast, a fast food reviewer who found a Burger King location testing the sandwich in Miami, wrote that it’s an "ultra crispy" spicy chicken sandwich with buffalo sauce priced at $3.89.
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"This has to be the best buffalo-style chicken sandwich on the market right now," Burger Beast concluded.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Carrols told investors that the company was "very encouraged" by the sandwich’s reception in test markets, Restaurant Business reported.
The major franchisee likely understands the impact a popular new chicken sandwich can have. It also operates 65 Popeyes locations – the restaurant that sparked the so-called chicken sandwich war in 2019 when it debuted a new sandwich and fired off some spicy tweets at chief chicken sandwich chain Chick-fil-A. The launch drove a boost in sales that continued for Popeyes even after it sold out of the sandwich in about two weeks and wasn’t able to restock them for another two months afterward.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Popeyes sandwich’s astounding success has led to a glut of fast-food chains adding new chicken sandwiches to their menus. Wendy’s launched its "crispier, juicier" chicken sandwich last fall. KFC is currently rolling out its new chicken sandwich that it describes as its "best" ever. McDonald’s has set a date next month for its three new chicken offerings to debut nationally.
Even burger joints like Shake Shack, BurgerFi and Whataburger have added spicy chicken sandwiches recently.
Even with the popularity in fast food chicken sandwiches, the launch of Burger King’s new offering may look very different from when Popeyes released its hit sandwich and crowds of customers lined up to try it. The coronavirus pandemic has forced restaurants to close their dining rooms or sharply decrease capacity.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After Popeyes added a crispy chicken sandwich to their fast-fast menu, the hierarchy of chicken sandwiches in America was rattled, and the supremacy of Chick-fil-A and others was threatened. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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In its latest earnings report, Carrols CEO Daniel T. Accordino said the franchisee had seen a rise in Burger King sales via delivery.
"Our business model is well-suited to customers seeking great value and convenience, which we are providing to them through our drive-thru, at-the-counter for take-out, and delivery channels," Accordino told investors.