McDonald's franchisees strategize fried chicken sandwich wars in leaked email
Fried chicken sandwich yet to launch nationwide for McDonald's to compete with Popeyes, Chick-fil-A
McDonald’s franchisees are allegedly fed up with waiting for the chain’s fried chicken sandwich.
More than a month after the golden arches debuted its fried chicken sandwich at franchises outside of Houston, and Knoxville, Tenn. franchisees are still waiting for the coveted menu item to debut nationwide, according to an email by the National Owners Association — an independent group formed by hundreds of McDonald’s franchises — obtained by Business Insider shows.
“We need to stay focused on coming up with a Chicken Sandwich our customers are going to crave,” the email reads as reported by Business Insider. “A chicken sandwich that gives our customers another reason to visit McDonald’s.”
McDonald's announced its forthcoming fried chicken sandwich in December. (McDonald's).
The National Owners Association and McDonald’s did not immediately respond to a FOX Business request for comment.
The urgency comes amid a "fried chicken sandwich wars" waging among fast-food chains. It all started when Popeyes launched its iteration of the sandwich last August to compete with rivals like Chick-fil-A. It sparked an outcry among food fans when it sold out, but the shortage only increased demand and hype on social media leading competitor Chick-fil-A to peck back on Twitter for copying its signature menu item.
Popeyes Fried Chicken sandwich. (Popeyes).
McDonald’s, meanwhile, started testing its version of a crispy chicken sandwich in select markets in December, and franchisees appear to be grappling with using MSG.
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“There will be talk about it containing MSG,” the National Owners Association email reads, according to BI. “Needless to say, all of our Chicken Sandwich competitors use MSG, and many foods naturally contain MSG. The FDA deems MSG safe and the tests over the years have disproved the myth that MSG is harmful. We don’t need to get distracted by media stories that can’t get their facts straight.”
MCDONALD'S CHICKEN SANDWICH 'BIG US HIT' RIVALING POPEYES, CHICK-FIL-A, KFC
The fried chicken sandwich launch could be a positive one for the chain, which has been embattled in a scandal following the firing of its former CEO Steve Easterbrook who was fired last year for having a consensual relationship with employees.