QSR March 2023

C H E F S & I NG R E D I EN T S

As a primarily bone-in chicken and tenders purveyor, Popeyes wasn’t sure what to expect when it introduced a fried chicken sandwich in August 2019—especially after spending three years developing the product and conduct ing market tests. With a buttery brioche bun, tangy mayo, crisp pickles, and seasoned chicken breast, the brand thought it had a winner on its hands. The response was a game-changer for the chain, which sold out of the new menu item in a matter of days. “It was not a stunt nor was it fake,” says Sami Siddiqui, president at Popeyes. “We could have never predicted selling out as fast as we did due to such unprecedented demand.” In the first few days of the launch, Popeyes sold more than 10 times the number of sand wiches it had predicted based on rigorous market testing. After relaunching the product perma nently that November, the brand had one of the best quarters in nearly two decades. One crucial aspect when considering launch ing the new menu item was in-restaurant execution. Working closely with franchisees, Popeyes was able to introduce new sandwich line equipment and batter tables in all of its restaurants, as well as train thousands of team members in a matter of weeks. “Ultimately, this type of on-the-ground exe cution from our franchisees and teammembers

drove the incredible response from guests,” says Siddiqui, who joined the brand in September 2020 after previously serving as president of par ent company Restaurant Brand International’s Asia-Pacific region. Though Popeyes certainly helped light the spark, the Chicken SandwichWars drew several other opponents. Chick-fil-A took to Twitter to claim its version predated the Popeyes’ sandwich, and a social media storm ensued that captivated the internet for more than a week. A comedy sketch on “Saturday Night Live” even parodied the popularity of Popeyes’ chicken sandwich, with Harry Styles playing an expat who’s obliv ious to the chain’s cultural touchstones. Popeyes ended up selling 203 million chicken sandwiches in the first year, which equated to a 38 percent increase in overall sales in 2019. By February 2021, the company shared a stagger ing statistic, revealing the scale of impact: After introducing the chicken sandwich, Popeyes’ aver age-unit volumes rose by $400,000, amounting to $1.8 million. Popeyes also opened 200 restau rants in 2021, propelling it past the 3,000-unit benchmark in the U.S. and Canada. The com pany even signed more development agreements than at any other time in the brand’s history. “The Chicken Wars were lightning in a bot tle for Popeyes. Having a great product was foundational, but we capitalized on a unique

ADOBE STOCK / Y JOSHUA RESNICK

“The Chicken Wars were lightning in a bottle for Popeyes. Having a great product was foundational, but we capitalized on a unique social media moment

that became ownable for our brand.”

NOBODY CAN ARGUE POPEYES GOT THE REAL DEBATE STARTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. 