Burger King really wants to duplicate the success of its sister chain Popeye's when it comes to launching a hit chicken sandwich. The fast-food giant keeps trying to find the magic formula that the other Restaurants Brands International (QSR) turned into a craze that led to lines out the door and an enormous amount of social media (and actual media) attention.
So far, Burger King has not been able to make that happen. Its first attempt at chicken relevancy, the Ch'King, was basically a copy of Popeye's sandwich. That effort featured the giant fried chicken breast that Popeye's made famous along with the mayo and pickles that have somehow become standard, but it didn't quite work.
The chain admitted defeat with that effort and replace the Ch'King with a new line, the BK Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwiches. These have a more traditional uniform fast-food chicken patty and come in four varieties, including Classic, Spicy, Bacon & Swiss Cheese, and Southern BBQ.
Those sandwiches have not become a craze so Burger King recently brought back its "long" chicken sandwiches in its classic form as well as the Italian version and a new Mexican take on the 80s item. That line was released nationally on Jan. 5, but now a new chicken sandwich has quietly appeared on the chain's menu.
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Burger King Adds a Spicy Take on a Classic Sandwich
Usually, fast-food chains test new sandwiches quietly without letting anyone know what they're doing outside whatever market they're running the test in. The new item does not show up on the chain's website because it's not being offered nationally.
That's not what has happened with Burger King's latest chicken sandwich. Some Burger King fans noticed that the Fiery Original Chicken Sandwich has appeared on the chain's website even though it's only being offered in certain, unspecified markets.
"The Fiery Original Chicken Sandwich features a lightly breaded spicy chicken patty topped with lettuce and creamy mayonnaise on an extra-long sesame seed bun," Chew Boom reported.
Burger King has been selling the new sandwich in a number of markets but has not made any formal announcement of where it will be available or whether it will get a full nationwide release.
Burger King Goes Big in Japan
Burger King likes to test some very different offers outside its home market. The fast-food chain has been offering what's either a giant meal for one person or a family-style way to sell side dishes in Japan.
Called the Toybox, the new "variety bucket" includes "about two pounds of a combination of french fries, Cheese Bites, chicken nuggets, and onion rings," Brand Eating reported.
The King's Toybox includes:
- Four medium orders of french fries
- Eight Cheese Bites (breaded and fried rounds of potato and cheese)
- 16 chicken nuggets
- Seven onion rings
In addition, this massive offer includes a medium drink. The chain seems to embrace the idea that this might be a shared menu item as anyone purchasing it can buy up to three additional drinks for 100 yen (about 77 cents.)
Burger King has never offered this type of deal in its home market. The Toybox represents about a 25% savings over buying the various items on their own.
