Fast food companies such as Um! brand’ KFC and McDonald’s Return to the chicken tenders market as a way to entice consumers to make a low-risk, high-reward bet on a familiar favorite.
As of the third quarter, nearly half of fast-food restaurants offer chicken, a 5.7% increase from the same period in 2019, according to Technomic’s Ignite Menu data. More and more restaurants are adding chicken tenders to salads and other dishes like wraps.
Taco Bell is also owned by Yum Brands. Brands has been testing chicken strips in tacos and burritos. McDonald’s said it is also testing a version of the McCrispy sandwich, which will be available in nearly all global markets by the end of 2025.
The snack is a $6 billion fast-food category that has expanded beyond children’s menus. Just look at the success of Raising Cane’s, which offers a menu entirely devoted to chicken fingers. The company reported its first billion-dollar quarter earlier this year. Same-store sales and traffic grew by double digits in the third quarter.
AJ Kumaran, co-chief executive of Raising Cane, said this is because the product’s taste and value have turned customers into loyal fans.
“They’re looking for everyday value. They’re not looking for gimmicks,” Kumaran said. “We can achieve that. So we’re very optimistic about where we are and how we’re going to continue to deliver on that promise.”
In October, KFC launched a “chicken label war” campaign for its new bid, which included an ad that satirized its rival. KFC representatives also visited Popeyes (part of International restaurant brand), Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane’s are handing out free KFC samples in front of rival stores in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Atlanta.
The company’s new U.S. chief marketing officer, Catherine Tan-Gillespie, was hired less than two months before the product launch.
“We have the best fried chicken tenders in the world, so I thought we should start a fight,” she said.
So, which chicken chain will win?
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