Nation's Restaurant News On the Go Newsletter #4

As we head into the holiday season, I must crib from Charles Dickens to sum up this week: It was the breast of times.

I’m Ron Ruggless, a senior editor with Nation’s Restaurant News, and I’ve never seen the major brands introduce so many poultry sandwiches in such a short time. It seems each day brought a new version of the stalwart chicken sandwich to America’s quick-service menus.

On Monday, Burger King pulled the wraps off its new Italian Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich, featuring melted mozzarella and marinara sauce. On Tuesday, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen —?Burger King’s Restaurant Brands International sister that plowed the way for popular chicken sandwiches in 2019 — introduced a non-breaded variety with a Blackened Chicken Sandwich with no breading for the carb-conscious. I spoke with Sami Siddiqui, Popeyes president, who noted that the new offering “speaks to a different guest, or a different occasion for our existing guest.”

And on Wednesday, Wendy’s debuted its Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich, which features fried mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and aged Asiago cheese on a garlic-knot bun. The Dublin, Ohio-based burger brand also introduced garlic-herb sauced fries.

It appears quick-service operators have found gold in them thar chicken coops. Dallas-based Wingstop, the wing brand that added 12 flavors of chicken sandwich to its menu in late summer, found it helping increase the boneless mix on its menus. Michael Skipworth, Wingstop CEO and president, said in a late October earnings call that the brand “could see a path to boneless mix exceeding 50% of our total mix, which will play a key role in advancing our supply-chain strategy.”

?I’m thinking we’re on the cusp of innovation, and that is far from the worst of times.

Burger King gives crispy chicken sandwich an Italian accent

Several quick-service burger brands are giving their chicken sandwiches an Italian accent for fall. On Monday Burger King debuted a new Italian Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich, featuring melted mozzarella and marinara sauce. The BK Italian Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich will be available for a limited time for a recommended price of $5.49.

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Popeyes introduces Blackened Chicken Sandwich with no breading

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has introduced a new Blackened Chicken Sandwich systemwide, which the brand president says expands the popular menu item platform. Sami Siddiqui, president of the Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International Inc.’s North America division, said in an interview that the new sandwich taps into the brand’s Louisiana roots as well as provides variety to those customers who wanted proteins with no breading.

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Wendy’s offers Italian Mozzarella Chicken sandwich, garlic fries

The Wendy’s Co. has introduced a new Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich and garlic fries to its winter menu. Wendy’s Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich features fried mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and aged Asiago cheese on a garlic-knot bun. The same condiments are offered in a beef version as well.

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Wingstop Q3 benefits from wing-price deflation, expanded delivery

Wingstop Inc. continued to benefit from slipping wholesale costs for bone-in chicken wings during its third quarter, allowing it to hold the line on menu price increases and increase transactions with a new chicken sandwich and expanded delivery platforms, executives said Wednesday.

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Inflation has sent the cost of certain foods skyrocketing. How has your restaurant primarily responded? We want to know, TAKE OUR NEW POLL and share your thoughts!

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