Colonel Sanders is entering 2021 ready to rumble in the seemingly never-ending chicken sandwich wars.
KFC is finally updating its fried chicken sandwich after finding itself playing catch-up against rival chains' sandwiches in recent years. The aptly titled "KFC Chicken Sandwich" features an extra crispy chicken filet placed on a buttered brioche bun and topped with pickles and spicy or classic mayonnaise.
The new sandwich is available Thursday in nine US cities: Chicago, Kansas City, Louisville, Portland, St. Louis, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, and Tulsa. It will gradually roll out across KFC's 4,000 restaurants nationwide over the next two months and fans can track the sandwich's arrival on a special website.
The sandwich costs $3.99 à la carte or $6.99 for a combination meal with fries and a medium drink.
KFC trialed the sandwich last June in 15 restaurants across Orlando. At the time, Andrea Zahumensky, KFC's chief marketing officer, told CNN Business that the reformulated sandwich "boasts an upgrade of every single component" and she believes the chain is "now is going to be able to compete."
The KFC Chicken Sandwich will replace the chain's current sandwich, the "Crispy Colonel."
"The 'Crispy Colonel' has a lot of fans, but we knew we could do better and it wasn't good enough for us," she said.
Early results for the new chicken sandwich are positive: Sales during the trial doubled KFC's expectations, according to a press release. "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," Zahumensky said.
Owner Yum! Brands reported mixed results for KFC in its third-quarter earnings. Global same-store sales fell 7%, but increased 9% in the US compared to the same quarter in 2019. The increase was attributed to a boost in digital and drive-thru sales, both of which will be central to its restaurant redesigns.
is finally updating its fried chicken sandwich after finding itself playing catch-up against rival chains' sandwiches in recent years.
Chicken is a winner
Fried chicken sandwiches continue to be a popular item for fast food restaurants as customers crave affordable and comfort food.
Popeyes sparked the war when it first introduced the popular menu item in August 2019. Customers flocked to the chain and the sandwich sold out in less than two weeks. The company said at the time that the "extraordinary demand" took it by surprise and it was several months before it returned.
And it's still popular: Sales at Popeyes restaurants open at least 17 months soared 17.4% globally in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the same period last year, thanks to the sandwich. Popeyes, which is owned by Restaurant Brands International, also controls Burger King and Tim Hortons. Popeyes was the company's only brand to report a sales increase during the quarter ending September 30.
McDonald's is also rolling out three new chicken sandwiches next month: The Crispy Chicken Sandwich, topped with pickles and served on a potato roll; the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, which adds a spicy pepper sauce; and the Deluxe Chicken Sandwich, which comes with lettuce, tomatoes and mayo.
Like its peers, McDonald's believes chicken is a good bet.
"Globally, the chicken category is almost twice the size of beef," Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's USA, remarked in November. "It is growing faster and represents a significant opportunity," he said. "Developing a reputation for great chicken represents one of our highest aspirations. We want customers to choose McDonald's for chicken."
Wendy's added a new chicken sandwich to menus last fall. Its Classic Chicken Sandwich replaced the Homestyle Chicken Sandwich, which has been on Wendy's menu for about a decade. Smaller chains, like Shake Shack, Church's and Whataburger, have also released variations of a chicken sandwich.
Of course, chicken has also proven to be a successful formula for Chick-fil-A, the 73-year-old chain that has a devoted fan base despite its controversial past. The privately held brand is steadily growing its reach, outselling chicken chains nearly twice its size. It has added about 1,000 locations and nearly tripled its sales over the last decade.
RELATED: A ranking of 25 fast food chicken sandwiches
26. McChicken at McDonald's
This giant chicken McNugget has a spongy texture matched with an exterior that is painfully salty; $1.
25. Original chicken sandwich at Church's
Church's Chicken sandwich includes a sad, small patty with a few inconsequential pickles; 99 cents.
24. Spicy chicken at Checkers
The "spicy" chicken patty barely qualifies as mild; $1.50.
23. Crispy chicken sandwich at Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen uses an actual piece of chicken, not a chicken patty, but it's tough and bone dry. None of the other components were much better. And what's up with the waffle-looking bun? $3.89.
22. Big chicken at Checkers
What a misleading name for such a diminutive, boring offering; $2.
21. Original chicken sandwich at Burger King
The oblong bun gives you a clue that there's a chicken patty underneath. It's joined by a handful of lettuce and more mayonnaise than you'll ever need; $4.49.
20. Chicken ring slider at White Castle
What are chicken rings? Are they some unheard of part of a bird? Nope. They are just chicken patties shaped into rings, and they taste slightly less good than White Castle's other option; $1.79.
19. Buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich at McDonald's
This certainly looks the best of the McDonald's fried chickens, featuring a glistening bun and whole leaves of lettuce. But the chicken is shockingly salty, overwhelming every other flavor. $5.10.
18. Classic crispy chicken sandwich at Sonic Drive-In
Kudos for the mayo restraint. Sadly, a little black pepper is all I could detect on this dull offering; $4.49.
17. Nashville hot crispy colonel sandwich meal at KFC
Greasy, dry and defiantly mild, this confused offering sours the good name of Nashville hot chicken; $6.19.
16. Chicken breast slider at White Castle
This is the highest rated sandwich using a chicken patty, mostly because it's so inoffensive. But I also liked the soft, warm bun, and the simple slice of cheese worked better than a deluge of mayonnaise; $1.49.
15. Classic chicken sandwich at McDonald's
Though it looks like someone punched it in the nose, the classic chicken sandwich here is probably the best chicken offering at McDonald's. That said, the crust is outrageously salty, and most of the components are thoughtlessly hurled on; $3.
14. Crispy chicken sandwich at Burger King
Burger King's regular sandwich beats the similar offering at McDonald's by a hair, mostly due to the fact that the crust is very slightly less stupidly salty; $4.69.
13. Spicy crispy chicken sandwich at Burger King
If you have to get a fried chicken sandwich at Burger King, this offering's slight touch of heat gives it the edge. Still, you have to deal with mayo overload; $4.39.
12. Double crunch at KFC
As you can tell by the photo, someone in the kitchen upended an entire jar of mayonnaise on this sandwich. That said, the chicken tenders were nicely seasoned with the Colonel's distinctive blend of herbs and spices; $5.39.
11. Crispy chicken sandwich at Culver's
The fried chicken is thin and exceptionally crispy, if also a tad dry. The well toasted bun is a great touch, and the toppings are fresh; $5.29.
10. Homestyle chicken sandwich at Wendy's
Without the spice, Wendy's chicken sandwich tastes rather uneventful. Nothing is particularly bad, mind you, and the chicken has a decent crust; $5.56.
9. Crispy colonel sandwich meal at KFC
KFC's best sandwich option features an extra crisp piece of chicken on a toasted bun. It's a petite offering, but one that mostly delivers the goods; $5.69.
8. Spicy chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A's offering in the spicy category was the mildest one I tried, which knocks it down the list a bit. Still, the chicken is juicy and the bun is soft; $4.49.
7. Spicy chicken sandwich at Wendy's
Of all the spicy fried chicken sandwiches I tried, none came anywhere near the spice level of Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich. I'd still call this more of a medium heat, but the warm glow helps add some actual excitement to each bite; $5.59.
6. The big chicken fillet sandwich at Hardee's
This solid option also starts with a frozen chicken fillet. Fortunately, it's moist and seasoned with lots of black pepper. Instead of a jumble of chopped lettuce, it's placed on top of a crisp iceberg lettuce leaf; $5.29.
5. Buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich at Arby's
Of all the chains that use frozen chicken fillets, Arby's came out on top. That's mostly due to the extra crispy crust of the chicken. All the other elements worked well, too. The soft bun houses the chicken without getting in the way. The lettuce and tomato also didn't taste like they'd been left in the cooler for a couple weeks; $4.99.
4. Sandwich combo at Raising Cane's
Raising Cane's serves chicken tenders and not a lot else, so the chicken sandwich here is really just a bun with a few tenders tossed on. But guess what? Those tenders are breaded and fried in house, so they have a crackly crust that shatters as you dig in. Plus, instead of boring mayo, the sandwich gets a liberal drizzle of Cane's sauce, the restaurant's own tangy, spicy concoction; $6.79.
3. Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A knows what it's doing. The white meat chicken is always tender and juicy, and the bun is always steamed until soft and pillowy. While the pickles are small, the sandwich is blessedly free of mayonnaise and iceberg lettuce. The only real criticism, and it's a big one, is that the crust on the chicken is not very crisp; $4.15.
2. Fried Chicken Sandwich at Popeye's
The chicken in Popeye's sandwich crunches audibly when you bite in, with all those nooks and crannies on the surface shattering into a thousand delicious pieces. This makes for an exciting contrast to the soft bun. The chicken itself is also juicy and well-seasoned, without tasting wildly over-salted like the fried-chicken sandwiches at McDonald's; $3.99
1. Chick'n Shack at Shake Shack
This was not even close. Shake Shack's offering had the crackliest crust, the juiciest meat and the best toppings. I especially loved the Martin's potato roll, which is certainly the softest bun around. Instead of a basic mayonnaise, this gets a spread of a buttermilk and herb mayonnaise, which lends a tangy freshness to each bite. Shake Shack also understands the importance of pickles, adding extra crunchy thick-cut versions. The catch? Shake Shack doesn't have nearly as many locations as the rest of these chains; $6.79.
CNN Business' Danielle Wiener-Bronner contributed to this report.
