As the biggest fast-food chains have expanded menus to attract new customers, The Wall Street Journal reports Chick-fil-A has instead gained ground with a different strategy: perfecting its signature chicken sandwich.
It helps that consumers are increasingly crazy for chicken. Last year, U.S. fast food restaurants served more than 2.5 billion breaded-chicken sandwiches as burger servings slipped 5%. Hence, say Chick-fil-A execs, why complicate the menu?
“We’ve been pretty consistent in how, over multiple decades, we’re going to take it slow and steady,” Chick-fil-A senior director Mark Moraitakis told WSJ. “It’s paid off for us.”
Indeed, keeping it simple appears to be working well for the 52-year-old restaurant chain. Its restaurant sales have tripled over the past decade, reaching $10.2 billion last year—even though it’s closed on Sundays. Today, it’s poised to become No. 3 in sales, behind only McDonald’s and Starbucks, respectively.
While other national chains like Wendy’s are now looking to tap into the chicken craze, Baton Rouge is already familiar with the concept of a chicken-centric, simple menu, employed by Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.
