A chicken sandwich is just a chicken sandwich until, well, it isn't. After the infamous 2019 launch of Popeye's chicken sandwich caused a furor of winding lines and out-of-stock messages, many fast-food chains are still looking for ways to generate a similar buzz around what was once a humble menu offering.
That has led to all sorts of monstrosities like fried chicken being used as a taco by Yum! Brands (YUM) Taco Bell and so many direct knockoffs of the Restaurant Brands International-owned (QSR) Popeye's giant chicken breast, topped with pickles, and mayonnaise take that has become so popular.
Image source: Shutterstock.
How Is Wendy's Doing Chicken Differently?
Leaning into both the chicken trend and Valentine's Day, Wendy's (WEN) will bring a one-two punch of chicken sandwiches with hot honey sauce to the menu from Feb. 8: the Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit and the Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich.
While the biscuit sandwich is clearly a nod at breakfast (and a variety of biscuits are on Wendy's morning menu right now), both will be available throughout the day. Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit will cost $3.19 while Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich commands $5.99.
"As the Queen of Spice, we're constantly looking for new ways to upgrade our already famous spicy chicken sandwich," Wendy's Chief Marketing Officer Carl Loredo said in a statement and slight dig at competitors. "[....] The Hot Honey Duo brings the heat, and the sweet, to give our fans mouthwatering, all-day chicken sandwiches that are anything but McBland."
Image source: Wendy's.
Is Breakfast The Way To Go for Wendy's?
Over the last few years, breakfast became a way for many fast-food chains to differentiate themselves and get an edge on competitors. Amid the pandemic, McDonald's (MCD) scrapped its popular all-day breakfast menu to simplify operations for its staff.
Wendy's has always had a breakfast menu at set morning hours. The Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit may be available all day but these flavors are still ones that bring up morning associations for many. Could the new sandwich be one small step toward offering something to those who crave breakfast for dinner?
Burger King has also been active interest in expanding its breakfast menu — after launching the 910-calorie Eggnormous Burrito in 2016, the fast-food chain took nearly six years to start testing three Burger King Toasted Breakfast sandwiches at select Buffalo, N.Y. locations.
Prior to the pandemic, "breakfast wars" were at a fever pitch — many a corporate office wanted to cash in on the fact that, according to research from NPD Group, customers spent 31% more money on fast food breakfast items in 2019 than they had five years prior.
While early pandemic lockdowns have put a massive wrinkle on this momentum (fast food breakfast, after all, is usually grabbed on the go rather than taken), the current slew of new items is pointing toward it picking up again with a vengeance.
UPDATE: This article was updated to reflect the prices of the two Wendy’s sandwiches.
