# Chicken Sandwich Wars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136 "2019-08-23T23:26:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/41 "2019-08-28T00:12:18Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Around 15 or 20 years ago, the first Chick-Fil-A in the Chicago area opened a few miles from my house. Actually, it was only nine years, not 15-20. > **[Which came first: Chick-fil-A or the beg?](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/04/20/which-came-first-chick-fil-a-or-the-beg/)** > > Chick-fil-A fans are a step closer to getting their chicken sandwich fix: The company has started construction on its first three Chicago-area restaurants, in Aurora, Orland Park and Wheaton. The A… ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/42 "2019-08-28T00:12:36Z")
Is this a _new_ chicken sandwich to supplement/replace an extant sandwich, or did Popeye’s really not have a chicken sandwich before? One thing I learned from my wife is, KFC is more than just the bucket, which is something I’d never thought of before. They have credible non-bucket food. I’d’ve imagined Popeye’s did, too, except I don’t have one reasonably close to me. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/43 "2019-08-28T00:13:59Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Around 15 or 20 years ago, the first Chick-Fil-A in the Chicago area opened a few miles from my house. People literally camped out in the parking lot for days before it opened. CFA does a thing where the first 100 customers to a new store get free chicken coupons for a year. People camp out and make a party/boxing ring out of it. Search ‘Chick fill a grand opening rules’ for better details. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/44 "2019-08-28T00:28:36Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Actually, it was only nine years, not 15-20. > > [http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-xpm-2010-04-20-ct-talk-chick-fil-a-update-0421-20100420-story.html](http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-xpm-2010-04-20-ct-talk-chick-fil-a-update-0421-20100420-story.html) I was wondering about that, too, as it didn’t seem Chick Fil As have been around quite _that_ long in the Chicago area but, hey, at this age, nine years, twenty years, it’s all the same… ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/45 "2019-08-28T00:44:51Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Is this a _new_ chicken sandwich to supplement/replace an extant sandwich, or did Popeye’s really not have a chicken sandwich before? The latter. Fast food places can’t rest on their laurels these days it seems and the old tried and true sale item of fried chicken pieces apparently wasn’t enough. Even if said chicken was generally considered the best of their various competitors. Gotta keep up with the likes of KFC and Chick-fil-A. Seems to have been pretty massively successful, to the point of overwhelming the distribution chain. Kinda the anti-New Coke. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/46 "2019-08-28T04:48:26Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Actually, it was only nine years, not 15-20. > > [http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-xpm-2010-04-20-ct-talk-chick-fil-a-update-0421-20100420-story.html](http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-xpm-2010-04-20-ct-talk-chick-fil-a-update-0421-20100420-story.html) > [@pulykamell](#): > > I was wondering about that, too, as it didn’t seem Chick Fil As have been around quite _that_ long in the Chicago area but, hey, at this age, nine years, twenty years, it’s all the same… Damn. Apparently my entire adulthood is a blur. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/47 "2019-08-28T08:22:35Z")
The long lines deterred me from trying a Popeyes Chicken sandwich. There’s always next time. 😉 They’ll be restocked in a few weeks. The crowds at Chick-fil-A always surprise me. The Little Rock location has been there at least twenty-five years. There’s a line every day. Like it’s their grand opening. I drop by maybe 3 times a month. I like the sandwich but it’s not my go to lunch. I always order the lemonade. AFAIK it’s the only fast food restaurant that sells fresh made lemonade. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/48 "2019-08-28T12:08:07Z")
Popeye’s really seems to have hit a home run from a marketing perspective with this one. I have seen zero TV ads for this, nor heard anything on the radio. Social media and YouTube seem to have been just the thing. (I’ll admit that I don’t watch a lot of TV, so perhaps I’ve just missed the advertising.) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/49 "2019-08-28T12:10:47Z")
This past weekend, we were traveling with the inlaws, and they wanted to stop at CFA for lunch. Never in my life have I had such a mediocre chicken sandwich. I honestly don’t understand why so many people rave about it. I don’t particularly care for Popeye’s, and I never had chicken at Wendy’s. I used to love Hardee’s chicken biscuits for breakfast - do they still make them? The closest one to me is over an hour away in Virginia, so I haven’t been to one in eons. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/50 "2019-08-28T13:04:04Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > The latter. Fast food places can’t rest on their laurels these days it seems and the old tried and true sale item of fried chicken pieces apparently wasn’t enough. Even if said chicken was generally considered the best of their various competitors. Gotta keep up with the likes of KFC and Chick-fil-A. I’m a little surprised just because I’d think that they’d want to sell something you can eat in the car. Ok, you CAN eat pieces of fried chicken while driving but that’s considerably less optimal than a sandwich (setting aside the inherent distraction of eating while driving). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/51 "2019-08-28T13:54:46Z")
[Chicken Sandwich Wars](https://babylonbee.com/news/chick-fil-a-employees-begin-marching-around-popeyes-restaurant-blowing-trumpets) on a Christian parody site. I’m a vegetarian and have no [del]dog[/del] chicken in this fight, but I don’t like C-F-A’s homophobic stance and never go there. ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/52 "2019-08-28T14:23:29Z")
Did Popeye’s really run out of chicken sandwiches simultaneously nationwide, or was this their strategy all along? Perhaps this is similar to Taco Bell periodically discontinuing their nacho fries to create a pent up demand for when they bring it back. Also, I know there is a religious aspect to it, but Chick-Fil-A closing on Sundays also creates pent up demand for the rest of the week. Scarcity creating demand. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/53 "2019-08-28T15:57:43Z")
> [@DaveRaver](#): > > Did Popeye’s really run out of chicken sandwiches simultaneously nationwide, or was this their strategy all along? Perhaps this is similar to Taco Bell periodically discontinuing their nacho fries to create a pent up demand for when they bring it back. Yes. Obviously. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/54 "2019-08-28T16:57:36Z")
Meanwhile in other “chicken” news, a KFC in Smyrna, GA tested out “beyond chicken” veggie pieces on Tuesday. Yes, madness [ensued](https://atlanta.eater.com/2019/8/27/20834857/kentucky-fried-chicken-beyond-meat-fried-chicken-smyrna-atlanta) there, as well. Next thing you know, they’ll be putting fake Colonels in their ads, too. 😉 And we all know that Taco Bell has been “test marketing” fake meat in all it’s stores for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/55 "2019-08-28T23:16:28Z")
> [@DaveRaver](#): > > Did Popeye’s really run out of chicken sandwiches simultaneously nationwide Apparently they estimated what their supply would be needed to last 7 weeks and have sold most of it in 2 weeks. They said they even used what they thought was a very aggressive sales estimate. Apparently some locations still have some but they think all will be gone by the weekend. Someone asked if they didn’t have a chicken sandwich already… they did have a chicken po-boy but it wasn’t the same. Chicken tenders on a hoagie bun. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/56 "2019-08-28T23:20:24Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > This past weekend, we were traveling with the inlaws, and they wanted to stop at CFA for lunch. Never in my life have I had such a mediocre chicken sandwich. I honestly don’t understand why so many people rave about it. > > I don’t particularly care for Popeye’s, and I never had chicken at Wendy’s. I used to love Hardee’s chicken biscuits for breakfast - do they still make them? The closest one to me is over an hour away in Virginia, so I haven’t been to one in eons. Chik-Fil-A is more known for excellent service for a fast food place and consistency with their food. That said, I have noticed that the chicken size has been getting slightly smaller over the years. Popeyes makes a good spicy chicken and their dirty rice is good. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/57 "2019-08-29T04:49:32Z")
So who here actually had Popeye’s sandwich? Was it any good? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/58 "2019-08-29T11:46:17Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > So who here actually had Popeye’s sandwich? Was it any good? I haven’t yet (tried three time last week, but all three places I went to were sold out, so I haven’t even bothered this week), but my brother had it before the hype (we were a test market here in Chicago) and said it was great. He said he liked it best of the fast food chicken sandwiches for its texture, large portion size, and not as salty as Chick-Fil-A (his ranking, I believe, was Popeye’s, Chick-Fil-A, then Wendy’s). The Chicago Tribune ranked 26 [fast food chicken sandwiches here](https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-viz-chicken-sandwich-best-worst-liststory-20190828-wffor4rz4ze5pjuckt25jun2fa-list.html), and Popeye’s came out #2. (Shake Shack’s Chick’n Shack was #1, Chick-fil-A regular #3, Wendy’s Spicy #7, Chick-Fil-A Spicy #8, McD’s Classic #15, and McD’s $1 McChicken dead last at #25, for comparison.) I have yet to make the trip to Shake Shack to compare. I’ve tried a handful of times while in the Loop, but it’s always had gigantic lines when I tried (though I didn’t realize they were known to have a good chicken sandwich–I’ve only been interested in trying the burgers, but now I guess I"ll have to get one of each when I finally make it down there.) ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/59 "2019-08-29T22:45:34Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > So who here actually had Popeye’s sandwich? Was it any good? I’ve tried one of each and thought they were very good. You can see how I ranked them in post #1 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136/60 "2019-08-29T22:59:09Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > So who here actually had Popeye’s sandwich? Was it any good? I’ve had two. Very tasty. I like them better plain, but that’s because I dislike mayo and pickles. The chicken and bun were flavorful. The second time I had one they weren’t doing customization so I had to scrape off the mayo and remove the pickles–that one wasn’t as good as the first, pristine one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-sandwich-wars/839136.md?page=4)