A Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich and a Popeyes chicken sandwich “take it outside” for the ultimate smackdown of the year. Which one wins?
It all started on August 12 with the launch of Popeyes’ new chicken sandwich. The new menu item is similar to a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, including barrel-cured pickles, a buttery bun and buttermilk chicken. The launch was getting minimal attention until Chick-fil-A entered the fray with a tweet claiming it created the sandwich combination Popeyes is promoting.
All of the sudden, lines for Popeyes became overwhelming, with some people waiting 20 minutes or more to get their hands on the sandwich. Long Popeyes lines are even contributing to traffic accidents, which may lead certain Popeyes locations to rid the sandwich from their menu.
Why is this all happening? Because Chick-fil-A brought attention to it.
Chick-fil-A has always been known for its fast service and quality customer relations, even coming in first as the best fast-food customer service in America in 2019. Superb service has been shown throughout the feud when one Chick-fil-A employee handed out free chicken sandwiches to “stressed out” Popeyes employees. Chick-fil-A is also nearly triple the size of Popeyes, so Popeyes wasn’t really a fair rival for Chick-fil-A until the sandwich feud.
If good, old fashioned hospitality and quality food is not enough, Chick-fil-A also treats its workers to a higher wage than most other fast-food chains. The average pay for a Chick-fil-A team member ranges up to 13 dollars an hour, along with other perks such as scholarship opportunities and paid time off.
Other fast-food competitors are taking note of Chick-fil-A’s strategies and are adjusting their own menus in an attempt to keep up. McDonald’s added a southern-style chicken sandwich to the menu in July just to stay ahead of Chick-fil-A. If McDonald’s is getting hot under the collar, then it’s obvious Chick-fil-A is doing something right.
Chick-fil-A partly has Popeyes to thank for the increased publicity, but really, they didn’t need it in the first place. Popeyes, in reality, should be thanking Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A customers are just as loyal to the chain as before, but now Popeyes is sharing some of the wealth. Just some more aspects that Chick-fil-A can add to the list – generosity and selflessness.
With all of these positives, Chick-fil-A is clearly the best choice if you’re looking for a superior chicken sandwich and great service. Unless it’s Sunday, of course, then consider going to Popeyes.
Charlotte Caldwell is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Charlotte? Email her at cc670717@ohio.edu.
