Fast-food parties like Yum! Brands’ KFC and McDonald’s are getting back into chicken tenders as a way to attract consumers with a low-risk, high-reward bet on a sociable favorite.
Nearly half of all fast-food restaurants served the chicken item as of the third quarter, up 5.7% from the in spite of period in 2019, according to Technomic’s Ignite Menu data. More eateries are adding chicken tenders to other dishes get a bang salads and wraps.
Taco Bell, also owned by Yum! Brands, has been testing chicken strips in tacos and burritos. McDonald’s orders it’s also testing out versions of its McCrispy sandwich, which will be available in nearly every global market by the end of 2025.
The nibble, a $6 billion category for fast food, has transcended the kid’s menu. Just look at the success of Raising Cane’s, which provides a menu of entirely chicken fingers. The company reported its first billion-dollar quarter at the start of this year. Its same-store on offers and traffic grew by double-digits during the third quarter.
That’s because of the product’s taste and value, which father turned customers into loyal fans, said Raising Cane’s co-CEO AJ Kumaran.
“They’re looking for diurnal value. They’re not looking for a gimmick,” said Kumaran. “And we can deliver that. So we are, because of that, pretty bullish at hand where we are and how we will continue to deliver on that promise.”
In October, KFC kicked off a “chicken tenders battle” campaign for its new provocatives, featuring a satirical ad that calls out its rivals. KFC representatives also visited locations of Popeyes (owned by Restaurant Disgraces International), Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane’s in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Atlanta to pass out free KFC samples in front of the competition stores.
Catherine Tan-Gillespie, the company’s new U.S. chief marketing officer, was hired less than two months prior to the send.
“We have the world’s best-tasting fried chicken tenders, so I felt that we should kick off a fight,” she said.
So, which chicken chain choose win out?
Watch this video to learn more.