If you had any awareness of what was going on in the fast-food world back in 2019, it’s quite likely you witnessed an event that historians now refer to in hushed whispers as “the chicken sandwich wars.”
It all started when Popeyes launched a chicken sandwich that apparently drew Chick-Fil-A’s attention, with the latter sending out a tweet not long after the sandwich launched that promoted its own chicken sandwich and referred to it as “the original.”
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Popeyes accepted the challenge with its own tweet, which said, “Chicken. Brioche. Pickles. New. Sandwich. Popeyes. Nationwide. So. Good. Forgot. How. Speak. In. Complete. Sandwiches. I mean, sentences.” The tweet was written in the same style as Chick-Fil-A’s, which could only mean one thing: this was war.
Drama aside, Chick-Fil-A’s sandwich was good â and by the end of 2019, Popeyes had reported a 38% jump in same store sales for Q4 2019, and people lined up at their restaurants day and night so they could try it. It was clear that the fried chicken chain had hit a powerful trend, and all the other major chains tried to get in on the action by making their own takes on the viral chicken sandwich.
Things went back to normal eventually, of course, and the Popeyes drive-thrus went back to what they used to be before the wars went down. And while it’s safe to say that time has passed, it’s impossible to think of any food business making a chicken sandwich without remembering how wild the space got in 2019.
Now a new contender has announced it will debut a brand-new item, and who knows: it might just reignite the wars.
White Castle is serving up something new very soon.
Image source: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
White Castle is bringing something new to the table
White Castle has revealed that it will soon add a brand-new chicken sandwich to its menus, says Jamie Richardson, vice president of marketing and public relations, in an interview with Nationâs Restaurant News.
âWeâre going to introduce a crispier and bigger chicken sandwich,â Richardson said. âItâs tastier, [more crave-worthy], and we think itâs time. Our secret superpower is the size of our sandwiches and sides. Theyâre smaller, so theyâre nimbler, you can share them. So, being able to get cheese sliders alongside chicken sandwiches is a perfect way to complete your lunch or dinner.â
The new chicken sandwich is made with buttermilk-fried chicken, topped with honeycomb mustard and sandwiched between White Castle’s signature bun. It will make its debut at White Castle locations on June 16.
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Richardson explains that the quick-service chain went through “extensive testing” to isolate what its customers most wanted out of a chicken sandwich. She promises the new sandwich will be crispier than White Castle’s previous ones have been. But she highlights the honeycomb mustard as a key element of what makes the sandwich so craveable, saying it got “overwhelming” feedback.
Chain explores both drive-thru and at-home options
While White Castle has been busy testing the new chicken sandwich for its drive-thru locations, it’s also quietly been exploring the freezer aisle at the your local grocery. On May 16, the company announced that its Double Cheese Slider had earned an “Editors’ Pick” award from Progressive Grocer magazine.
“We might be biased, but we believe the degree of deliciousness in the Double Cheese Slider is truly worthy of notice,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle. “White Castle is able to deliver your favorite restaurant tastes, whether you’re going to a grocery store or a Castle.”
