![]() ![]() We had somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 restaurant chains, based on our account, that came up with an upgraded chicken sandwich. Four years later, do you feel like that phrasing is still accurate? Because I still feel like I see - and I often order - chicken sandwiches everywhere I go. It was incredible.ĭETROW: And then so many other fast-food restaurants try to get in on this to the point where everyone brands it the chicken sandwich wars. That is what we all thought was going to happen, and it didn't. And then they reintroduced it in November, and it continued to go crazy, which blows my mind because if you take a product off the menu, you lose some energy like that. And they ran out in, like, less than two weeks and had to pull it off the menu and then train their restaurants, work the supply chain to get enough supplies for chicken sandwiches. Some people were trying to resell them at exorbitant prices - just mania for a chicken sandwich. Popeyes sometimes, you know, loses control of the crowds. It was a very good sandwich, and then it just took off.ĭETROW: And just to remind everybody, it launches in mid-August, and then by this time in 2019, people are lining up around the block. It's hard to really put your finger on exactly what happened. MAZE: You know, it was really a perfect storm. What do you think it was that made this stick? Just good branding? Like, what do you think happened? But before we get into that, let's just talk about that original moment four years ago. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.ĭETROW: So I think one of the most interesting things is the fact that this has sustained itself. Jonathan Maze is editor-in-chief for Restaurant Business magazine, and he joins us from Dallas, where he is attending a restaurant conference. ![]() On average, Americans today eat close to 100 pounds of chicken a year, and you just know a lot of chicken has to be consumed in the form of an oh-so-tasty fried chicken sandwich. This sandwich right here.ĭETROW: And now, Americans are happily caught between the warm slices of brioche bun and plenty of crunchy, juicy options. UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTISTS: (Vocalizing). UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Singing) Oh, baby, I got Popeyes. And since then, we have all kept arguing - spicy or original? Pickle or no pickle? Once or double fried? It led to the internet losing its mind, and then it quickly led to other competitors rushing out their own. I was trying to see if I was anywhere near a Popeyes so I could try yet again to find one of their red-hot, brand-new chicken sandwiches.Īmerica's new obsession with chicken sandwiches began four years ago, when Popeyes added one to its menu. I was not trying to find the campaign rally I was headed to. I was driving around Nevada covering the presidential campaign, and I was repeatedly pulling up Google Maps. I have a distinct memory from four years ago this month. ![]()
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