By Dante Spado
The Chicken Wars have been raging since 2019. You know, the war that started when Popeyes brought the fast-food industry to its knees with the creation of their chicken sandwich.
My life hasn’t been the same since. I, like many others, rushed out to try Popeyes’ new sandwich, only to be met by long lines and cashiers telling me they were sold out. But, eventually, I got it, and it was pure bliss. It blows Chick-Fil-A out of the water. If it was a war, Popeyes was winning.
Then things got interesting. In February 2020, KFC announced a Chicken Donut sandwich in the form of a catchy song. My roommates and I sang the song for days until finally, we drove out to KFC to buy it (I guess advertising really DOES work). While it may sound disgusting, the Chicken Donut sandwich was actually quite good, even if it’s probably the kind of thing you only get once. For that reason, Popeyes was still winning in my book, but KFC put up a good fight.
Then Wendy’s came along and claimed they ended it. It’s a bold claim to say you ended the Chicken Wars. And while I think Wendy’s is an underrated fast food restaurant, they over-stated the fact that they ended the Chicken Wars.
For a while, everything was good and tensions were low. Until Zaxby’s announced the Chicken Wars “ain’t over yet.” So I drove out to Zaxby’s to try their chicken sandwich. At first, I thought they tucked tail and retreated because when I pulled up to the restaurant there were almost no lights on. But when I went up to the drive-thru, I was greeted by a Zaxby’s soldier. I ordered Zaxby’s sandwich, pulled into a parking spot and ate it. I was disappointed, to say the least. The sandwich was pretty limp and had next to no flavor. Zaxby’s made a bold claim, but they entered the war with a whimper.
Additionally, Zaxby’s calls their sandwich the “Zaxby’s Signature Sandwich,” which is a mouthful, unlike the sandwich itself. When you go to Popeyes, you order “The Sandwich.” Everyone knows what you’re talking about. It doesn’t need a fancy title. It speaks for itself. The Zaxby’s sandwich was a fail on all fronts, and it ranks at the bottom of my list.
This week, things ramped up even more. Taco Bell and McDonald’s both announced their entry into the war. At this point, it’s the fast-food industry’s equivalent of World War I. Some restaurants may be showing up late, but they’re definitely showing up. While I personally don’t partake in Taco Bell, I may have to in order to compare it to Popeyes. After all, good soldiers follow orders. McDonald’s entry caught me by surprise, as they already have the McChicken, but their new sandwich was bioengineered for warfare. I’ll be hitting the frontlines soon to try both of them out.
At this point, the battlefield is crowded. I still think Popeyes holds the crown. They may not have realized what they were doing when they made The Sandwich, but it was the cluck heard around the world.