KFC is the latest in a growing number of its rivals in the quick-service restaurant sector that are turning up the heat with aggressive promotions and new menu items to drum up traffic.
The chain posted on X on Tuesday that its original honey barbecue sauce is back at locations nationwide after it stirred up a consumer craze when it was first introduced in the 1990s.
“The sauce became an obsession – inspiring petitions, thousands of mentions across social channels, and even copycat recipes from desperate fans. Now, the one-of-a-kind sauce is back and bigger than ever – for the first time ever, fans can get their favorite items dunked in the sauce,” the company said in announcing its return.
MCDONALD’S BRINGS BACK EXTRA VALUE MEALS TO LURE BUDGET-CONSCIOUS CUSTOMERS
The company is also temporarily reducing the price of menu favorites, including the KFC Chicken Sandwich, which will cost $3.99.
The company also brought back its potato wedges and top-rated Hot & Spicy Wings to menus nationwide last month in response to strong demand.
MCDONALD’S NEW ADULT HAPPY MEAL BRINGS BACK NOSTALGIC CHARACTERS
“This isn’t just a nostalgic nod. It’s an example of how we’re turning feedback into action as we chart our Kentucky Fried Comeback, a bold, brand-wide rally to give people more reasons to fall in love with us all over again,” KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie said.
Rising menu prices have caused traffic to dip at fast-food restaurants as economic concerns push their core customers to rein in discretionary spending.
IS THERE A FAST-FOOD PRICE WAR LOOMING?
McDonald’s announced last month that it was doubling down on its value proposition to rejuvenate traffic. The Godlen Arches brought back its Extra Value Meals, offering customers eight meal bundles for breakfast, lunch and dinner, saving customers 15% more than if they bought items separately.
The highly anticipated move from McDonald’s ignited a shift in the entire industry, as rivals began offering competing deals aimed at budget-conscious consumers.
With McDonald’s recent lean on value, “most scaled restaurants are working very hard with their existing menus and ingredients along with their back-office finance teams to derive wholesome, satisfying and substantive offerings at competitive prices to both retain existing clients and drive new customers,” Mark Wasilefsky, head of restaurant and franchise finance at TD Bank, previously told FOX Business.
For instance, shortly after McDonald’s announced it was bringing back Extra Value Meals for the first time since 2019, IHOP announced it was introducing an everyday value menu as part of its core offerings. American fast-food chain Jack in the Box also announced it would introduce larger cup sizes – about a 25% increase in ounces – while also lowering prices across drive-thru menu boards.
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