How Popeyes Sparked the Chicken Sandwich Wars

Popeyes kicked off the biggest battle in fast food history by launching a high-quality chicken sandwich that guests loved, and the industry took notice.

It all started back on Aug. 12, 2019, when Popeyes launched the new Chicken Sandwich. Created after years of refining recipes and scouring the country for the perfect ingredients, the Chicken Sandwich seemed destined to be hit with diners — but there was certainly no initial sign that it would be the opening salvo in any kind of industry-wide sandwich showdown.

That all changed with a single social-media post. A week after the launch, it seemed the excitement around Popeyes’ new Chicken Sandwich was beginning to ruffle the feathers of the competition. On Aug. 19, 2019, a chicken competitor tweeted what most people viewed as a critique of Popeyes’ new sandwich.

Popeyes shot back with a cheeky response steeped in gentle Southern charm: “... y’all good?” No one would have predicted then that those two words would touch off a chicken sandwich boom that would grip social media, inspire countless memes, and prompt so much interest in the new Popeyes Chicken Sandwich that restaurants across the country would face lengthy lineups and mass chicken shortages.

Before long, practically every quick-service restaurant in the country would try to create a poultry product that could compete with the Chicken Sandwich. But the years since have proven that the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich’s enduring success has much more to do with taste than a tweet.

“People wouldn’t have come back continuously if the sandwich wasn’t as good as it is,” says Amy Alarcon, VP of Culinary Innovation at Popeyes. “Through the Chicken Sandwich, we wanted to tell the story of Popeyes in a handheld, portable format, and I think we certainly accomplished that.

Although the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich became a viral sensation seemingly overnight, there was nothing fast about developing and perfecting the sandwich. In fact, Chef Amy and her team spent nearly three years meticulously creating, testing, and refining the Chicken Sandwich.

Every element and ingredient of the sandwich needed to be just right. To create its melt-in-your-mouth bun, Chef Amy and her team worked with local bakeries until they found a brioche with exactly the right texture and flavor. Similarly, they searched the country until they found the perfect pickle with just the right level of snap. And they kept refining the chicken’s buttermilk breading until it provided just the right crunch and contrast with the sauce and the bun.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a chicken sandwich war without competition. Almost immediately after the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich launched, competitors in the QSR space rushed to create their own versions. Suddenly, the market was flooded.

Even with that army of imitators, however, the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich continued to stand out for the same reason it was such a savory success in the first place.

“Guests recognize quality,” Chef Amy says. “We took our time perfecting the recipe for the Chicken Sandwich, and because of this, we had the opportunity to redefine what it means to serve a high-quality Chicken Sandwich. When our competitors saw how people responded to our sandwich, they followed our lead in revamping their own.

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