Thirteen seconds and a coin flip gave Josh Allen an unexpected (and underserved based on his stellar play) early summer vacation. It was a horrible turn of events, but it does give him some free time to try a new sandwich from Shake Shack (SHAK) that's a tribute to the classic take on wings invented at Buffalo's Anchor Bar.
And, while the Buffalo Bills have missed their chance to play in this year's Super Bowl, Shake Shack (SHAK) is still taking things home to Buffalo with the launch of two new menu items.
As part of a limited-time promotion starting on Jan. 28, the New York City-based burger chain is adding the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and Buffalo Spiced Cheese Fries to its menus.
The uniting factor is the vinegar-and-spice-based buffalo sauce that originated on chicken wings in the industrial New York city in the 1960s. The burger is made with a sauce-coated chicken alongside ranch dressing, pickles, and shredded lettuce while the fries feature the chain's regular cheese sauce with a dusting of the buffalo seasoning and a side of ranch dipping sauce.
The restaurant chain had, last year, stealthily tested the Super Bowl flavors in a few locations across New York and California.
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What Does The Super Bowl Have To Do With It?
Buffalo chicken wings have, by now, become an iconic Super Bowl snack. During the NFL's big game last year, Americans ate a grand total of 1.42 billion chicken wings.
Shake Shack, which commonly launches new menu items in connection to various holidays and events, likely wanted to tap into the football frenzy with this menu item (which, granted, will be available long after that until April 25.)
"It doesn't get any more iconic than Buffalo, and we are super excited for our fans to taste our version of the classic," Shake Shack's Culinary Director Mark Rosati told TheStreet in a statement.
As part of its strategy to bring more customers to its online app, Shake Shack has also made the two new items available for order on the app three days early. The chicken sandwich will sell for $7.79 while the spiced cheese fries cost $4.79.
Shake Shack Makes Lots of Menu Changes
In the nearly two years since the start of the pandemic, Shake Shack has been experimenting with a wide range of temporary and limited-time menu items. Just last week, it replaced its holiday milkshakes with a chocolate pie version and a "Wake And Shake" that some saw as a riff on the cannabis community's term "wake and bake" for the spring.
Between October and the January, the restaurant also sold a "luxe" burger featuring black truffle that many still call the chain's best experiment. Closer to the latest offering, the Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich was sold at Shake Shack restaurants until Oct. 15.
"With our new Buffalo-inspired menu, we’re adding sauce, spice, and everything nice to the Chicken Shack and crinkle-cut fries our guests keep coming back for while upholding our commitment to using premium ingredients and creating delicious flavors," Rosati said.
