After missing the first memo, McDonald's finally jumps into Fried Chicken Sandwich Wars
McLate... A full 3 months after Popeye's faced a crispy chicken sandwich shortage (good problem to have), McDonald's wants in. Yesterday, the fast food chain started testing its own caloric version in its Houston and Knoxville restaurants. We know what you're thinking: Didn't fry-master McDonald's already do fried chicken?
- McNuggets and the McChicken Sandwich don't count — they're not "Southern" style.
- McD's has tried multiple other chicken sandwich options, but none came close to Big Mac fame.
- Solution: Steal Chick-Fil-A and Popeye's Southern-style crispy chicken concept, with butter and pickles.
The other other white meat... is worshipped nationwide right now. Southern-style fried chicken sandwiches became profit puppies for a pair of McD's rivals during last summer's Chicken Sandwich Wars:
McDonald’s franchisees are its secret sauce... 9 of 10 McD's restaurants worldwide aren't owned by Ronald, they're actually owned by a franchisee — an entrepreneur who McDonald's licenses its logo/recipes/supplies to in exchange for fees and a portion of their location's sales. Back in July, franchisees wrote a joint letter to McD's asking for a chicken sandwich ASAP... before the Chicken Sandwich Wars. They were right. McDonald's finally admitted it.