FSR March 2023

social media moment that became ownable for our brand,” Siddiqui says. “We posted the tweet heard around the world, ‘Y’all good?’, a playful nod at one of our friends in the chicken industry that embodied our Southern heritage while engaging early in the social conversation. We like to think we ignited the Chicken Wars, and we’re proud of everything that has happened since.” Consumers’ hunger for the comforting, portable meal only grew throughout the pandemic. Soon, more than 20 fast-food brands had introduced chicken sandwiches to their menus, including Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Golden Chick, KFC, Fat burger, Church’s Chicken, BurgerFi, Zaxby’s, Fuku, Jack in the Box, Sonic, Carl’s Jr., Shake Shack, Pollo Campero, Bojangles, and more. Even con cepts that weren’t necessarily known for chicken, like Taco Bell and Panda Express, tried to cash in on the trend. “I also think the chicken craze was because of the cost; a lot of people don’t say that, but chicken is obviously cheaper than burgers or other meats,” says Troy Guard, chef and owner of Denver-based TAG Restaurant Group ( TRG ). TRG comprises a dozen restaurants including breakfast joint Hashtag, bowl-centric fast casual Bubu, modern steakhouse Guard & Grace, and a Denver-area food hall—where multi-unit chicken sandwich concept Crack Shack has planted a foot hold. Since opening, it’s ranked as the No. 1 stall

 ROCK & BREWS

in the venue. A few years ago, Guard himself won a chicken sandwich battle in Denver called Chicken Fight Festival. He marinated a chicken breast for 24 hours, letting it sit half a day to get crispier in the deep-frying process, and added sweet-and-spicy aioli and pickles, lettuce, tomato, and slaw. “It’s a huge crowd-pleaser, but it takes a little bit of time, I think, to make a good chicken sand wich,” he says. And the appeal of the chicken sandwich reaches far beyond quick-service and nontraditional restau rants. The menu item has been a mainstay for more than a decade at Rock & Brews, a casual dining, rock music–inspired restaurant and eatertain ment concept founded by none other than Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of famed band KISS. The California-based brand—which has grown to 18 locations, including airport and casino units— introduced its Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich right around the brand’s inception in 2010. The fan-favorite dish features a sesame brioche bun, iceberg lettuce, pickles, mayo, a tomato, and, of course, fried chicken. Then came the Demon Chicken Sandwich, named after Simmons’ stage persona. “Gene likes to peek his head into the kitchen every blue moon and collaborate with culinary and put his creative input inside,” says Ben Magana, executive chef at Rock & Brews. “He wanted a spicy sandwich that kind of repre sented his demon persona, so try to envision how he looks—the makeup, bright red lips, contrast of colors. And the mission was to create a sandwich that ref lected the color, the heat, that feeling of being a little bit bigger than life,” Magana says.

UNVEILED A CHICKEN SANDWICH SHORTLY AFTER ITS INCEPTION.

TAG RESTAURANT GROUP FEATURES CHICKEN ACROSS ITS MULTI-BRAND LINEUP. 

POPEYES, TAG RESTAURANT GROUP, ROCK & BREWS