The entree that sparked this summer’s Chicken Sandwich War is coming back and renewing the battle.
More than two months after Popeyes sold out of its newly released and first nationwide chicken sandwich, on Monday the chicken chain announced it will return Nov. 3, coinciding with National Sandwich Day.
”The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich was launched in August as a permanent addition to our menu,” said Felipe Athayde, president of Popeyes for the Americas, in a statement. “We sold through our inventory due to unprecedented demand, so the product was temporarily unavailable, but now we’re excited to say it’s back for good.”
The re-launch also falls on a Sunday — a rare day for a menu item launch, but also a day when rival Chick-fil-A is closed.
Almost immediately after Popeyes started selling the sandwich on Aug. 12, reports started circulating that the New Orleans-style fried chicken on a bun was selling out at some locations and leading to long waits.
Then a week after the launch, Popeyes started a viral Twitter feud with Chick-fil-A and other restaurants, and the battle lines were drawn over which chicken chain had the better sandwich.
”Word traveled fast that the sandwich is delicious and created an unprecedented demand. A lot of the buzz was created organically on social media,” Athayde said. ”Our guests were engaging with us and we decided to have some fun alongside them.”
Then on Aug. 27, Popeyes announced the sandwiches were sold out and the company was working with suppliers to bring it back as soon as possible.
”Across the system, franchisees have worked to increase staffing to be ready to serve guests once the chicken sandwich returns,” he said. “We’ve learned from this experience and are looking forward to serving the Chicken Sandwich to our guests again.”
In a 20-second YouTube video posted Monday announcing the return, a highway sign showing Popeyes and Chick-fil-A’s names is updated to add the words “open Sunday” under Popeyes, a dig at its competition.
Popeyes also shared images promoting the sandwich’s return: “Y’all ... The Sandwich is back. This Sunday. Yes. Sunday.”
