Just under a year ago, Yum Brands (YUM) -)-owned Kentucky Fried Chicken brought back a discontinued favorite from the 1990s and 2000s.
After multiple campaigns and fan petitions clamoring for the return of its Chicken Twister Wrap, KFC released a new iteration in the form of classic and spicy slaw versions that it sold at $5 for two wraps or as part of a $7.99 combo with fries and a drink.
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To start off 2024, KFC expanded its lineup with three new wrap versions — a Honey BBQ, Mac & Cheese and Spicy Mac & Cheese. The Honey BBQ is described as the tortilla wrap filled with "extra crispy chicken tender" along with pickles, mayonnaise and the chain's signature barbecue sauce that is also offered as a dipping sauce for those ordering chicken strips or other items normally served with a sauce.
Here's what you need to know about KFC's new wrap flavors
The Mac & Cheese wrap puts "rich and gooey cheddar mac & cheese" alongside the chicken tender and a three-cheese blend inside a tortilla while the spicy version features all of that with a squirt of spicy mayo.
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"Last year, KFC was the first to answer fans’ calls for the return of chicken wraps and is delivering yet again by bringing beloved KFC Wraps back with more flavors than ever before," the chain said in promoting the new menu items.
The new flavors are available at KFC locations across the country as of Jan, 2 alongside the existing classic and spicy slaw versions. The two-for-$5 promotion remains and allows customers to pick two different flavors they want to try or two of the same one but KFC raised the price of its wraps, soft drink and fries combo to $8.49 from the $7.99 it charged for it last February.
KFC promises to 'serve up bold new flavors and big deals'
To promote the new flavors, KFC is also giving out a free wrap to anyone who logs onto the chain's app and adds it to a minimum $1 purchase. The promotion will pop up for customers to activate once and will be available for an unspecified period of time in January.
While the old wrap flavors have been permanent additions to KFC's menu lineup (removing them would risk more petitions and customer outcry given the chicken wrap's cult following), the Honey BBQ and Mac & Cheese versions are LTOs meant to test demand for a limited time and serve as a litmus test for whether to keep or scrap them.
All this also comes at a time of both general food inflation and a period when many are watching their budgets after over-spending on the holidays and so KFC is marketing the wraps, and the value menu in particular, as an affordable way to get a full meal.
"We're serving up bold new flavors and big deals to help curb the post-holiday blues and give your wallet a break," Nick Chavez, who heads marketing for KFC's U.S. division, said in a statement on the promotion.
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