KFC revamps its fried chicken sandwich, and is ‘playing to win’

More than a year after Popeyes caused pandemonium with its first chicken sandwich, its competitors have stepped up their game by improving on their offerings.

Days after McDonald’s announced its plans to roll out three new chicken sandwiches next month, KFC is finally updating its longtime staple.

Similar to what Popeyes introduced in the summer of 2019, the KFC Chicken Sandwich features an extra crispy chicken filet placed on a buttered brioche bun and topped with “crispier, thicker pickles” and spicy or classic mayonnaise.

As of Thursday, the new sandwich became available in nine U.S. cities: Chicago, Kansas City, Louisville, Portland, St. Louis, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, and Tulsa.

The self-proclaimed “purveyor of the world’s most famous fried chicken” said it will gradually roll out across all of KFC’s 4,000 restaurants nationwide over the next two months.

With a price tag of $3.99 à la carte or $6.99 (for a combination meal with fries and a medium drink), fans can track the sandwich’s arrival via a special website.

“We tested the new KFC Chicken Sandwich in Orlando last spring, and we nearly doubled our sales expectations, so we knew that we had a winner,” said the brand’s U.S. marketing chief Andrea Zahumensky. “Many customers hadn’t considered KFC as a part of the chicken sandwich conversation, but anyone who tastes this sandwich will know, without a doubt, that we’re playing to win.”