It’s the great chicken sandwich war
The fast food chicken sandwich wars have spawned debate and fanfare in the media, which has played out on news outlets, social media, and on websites.
Almost nothing else equally compares to food. It’s comforting, nourishing, and satisfying. Food also stirs up feelings of happiness, and has the ability to lift the spirits, no matter what’s occurring at the moment.
With its visual presence recorded in the media through food challenges and debates, television competitions and instructional shows, and not to mention, frequent appearances during local news segments — food is almost like a special guest.
It’s a satisfying topic we all enjoy exploring and dissecting. Food is our soft spot.
Further, I chose to write about the fast food chicken sandwich wars because of the media explosion surrounding such a simple and delicious food product.
After Popeyes staked its claim on the chicken sandwich in Aug. 2019, it drew enthusiastic praise from fans.
Prior to Popeyes’ new sandwich release, Chick-fil-A posted to its Twitter account, a black-and-white photograph of its late founder S. Truett Cathy, humble-bragging about the simple ingredients contained in its beloved chicken sandwich.
“Bun + Chicken + Pickles = all the love for the original” the Tweet read, provoking Popeyes to clap back with “…y’all good?”
This was the official start the latest chicken sandwich wars.
Almost overnight after the release of its chicken sandwich, Popeyes drew excitable awe from customers, and quickly inspired a succession of copycats, along with friendly banter from its competitors, and generated organic media from fans and news conglomerates, alike.
The battle of the chicken sandwiches has been covered by local and major news sites, global news sites, food blogs, heck, even financial and business blogs.
Throughout it all, stiff competition has produced a slew of fervent excitement on websites and social media, which memorialized the action in the form of memes, a timeline, tournament brackets, slideshows, along with digs taunting Chick-fil-A’s Sunday closure.
Even today, the chicken sandwich wars continue, in spite of the recent price fixing lawsuits against U.S. poultry providers. And sure, who cares if fried foods are possibly linked to heart disease, and if certain foods have the potential to negatively alter our mood and behavior? What matters most is great tasting food.
So, let the chicken sandwich wars carry on!
Following new or upgraded chicken sandwich releases by McDonald’s, KFC, Boston Market, Shake Shack, and Wendy’s, along with Popeyes’ sibling Burger King, imagine my surprise after learning about the latest contender entering the ring: Taco Bell.
Seriously?
But doesn’t Taco Bell make … tacos?
The immense media coverage Popeyes received, has prompted other fast food chains to form a friendly coup of sorts. Who wouldn’t want to ride the wave of media attention, earn new fans, increase consumer sales, and possibly gain market share?
It’s our love of food that has brought about our very own chicken sandwich war. In a few year’s time, I wonder if we’ll look back on this moment and ask ourselves, “Where was I when the chicken sandwich food wars began?”
For now, I’m definitely waiting to see who will win the final battle. How about you?
Thank you for reading — until next time.
Charlotte
