While the word "wings" is in its name, Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) is also known for its tenders -- hand-battered chicken strips that are just as popular for game day deliveries and nights out with friends.
One would think that there are only so many ways to eat chicken breast fried in batter but the chain is trying to show those who pick them up with their hands and bite in that there's other fun ways to eat them too.
On June 22, the fast-food chain launched a menu product it calls Bird Dawgs, which are chicken tenders served on a brioche bun hotdog-style.
How Many Ways Are There To Eat A Chicken Tender?
The Bird Dawgs come in three variations: the loaded Bird Dawg with beer cheese and wild honey mustard, the Honey BBQ Bird Dawg with fries and Buffalo Wild Wings' Honey BBQ sauce, and the Buffalo Bird Dawg with ranch, cabbage slaw, and Buffalo Wild Wings’ Medium Buffalo sauce.
"Bird Dawgs are a new way to enjoy Buffalo Wild Wings’ popular chicken tenders," the chain says.
Buffalo sent TheStreet reporter Veronika Bondarenko some of the new menu items for tasting and she found it to be a fun way to eat chicken with various toppings without getting one's hands full of sauce.
Bird Dawgs will be available from June 22 at Buffalo Wild Wings locations across the country.
Buffalo Wild Wings
The chain is also introducing a happy hour at which Bird Dawgs and a series of other appetizers will be discounted to between $3 and $6 from the time of 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Happy Hour is not complete without discounted alcohol, so the offer will also include $3 tall drafts of Wild Herd Kolsh by Goose Island, $5 Strawberry Margaritas, and $6 for the non-alcoholic Truly Berry Cherry Limeade during the Happy Hour timeframe.
Bird Dawgs will also be available for order through various food delivery apps.
What's Going On With Product Development?
Expanding and adapting its menu is an important part of any fast food chain's evolution. Looking back at past menus of popular chains is often a good way to spot food trends from different eras. Some morph into long-term favorites, while others get pushed out during changing times.
Current industry trends include building out the plant-based menu beyond the single veggie burger and into increasingly creative mains and desserts. Several big chains like Wendy's (WEN) have also been trying to carve out a base for breakfast as more people started picking it up on the go as they return to the office.
When it comes to Buffalo Wild Wings, the chain recently partnered with Frito-Lay to launch wings with the Doritos Flamin' Hot Nacho Flavored Sauce.
Available throughout the 2022 NBA finals, the wing sauce followed the Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili flavor available in stores last September. The partnership between the wing company and the crunchy chip maker proved to be pretty popular.
Partnerships between snack and fast food companies is also something that those in the industry should expect to see more of.
"At a time when Doritos can serve as the base of a taco shell and Cheetos dust has become a star ingredient, it's hard to see where fast-food chains will draw the line," TheStreet Managing Editor Daniel Kline wrote in 2016 for The Motley Fool.
