Chili’s has a new weapon in the war against fast food: its crispy chicken sandwich.
While the chicken sandwich wars have faded in recent years, the fight for value has only intensified.
Chili’s has repeatedly leaned into that competition, launching three campaigns in the past few years that directly challenge fast-food staples with larger versions of those items, arguing that diners can get more for their money at the casual-dining chain.
Earlier this year, Chili’s launched a new campaign for its $10.99 3-For-Me deal, featuring a revamped chicken sandwich and five new versions, from Buffalo to BLT-style, as it looks to challenge fast-food chains on taste and value.
The bet on chicken sandwiches is paying off.
On its parent company’s Q4 earnings call on Wednesday, CEO Kevin Hochman credited the chicken sandwich push with helping boost same-store sales. He said daily chicken sandwich orders on the base menu jumped 175%, and said the item was “designed to drive traffic.”
I tried the new chicken sandwich to see why it’s become such a hit for Chili’s.
Chili’s crispy chicken sandwich immediately impressed me with its size
In addition to its classic version, the chicken sandwich comes in five variations, including honey-chipotle, Buffalo, spicy mayo, and a deluxe version topped with bacon, lettuce, and tomato.
It’s also featured in Chili’s nationwide $10.99 3-For-Me deal, which includes fries, bottomless chips and salsa, soup or a side salad, and unlimited fountain drinks.
For comparison, at my local McDonald’s, a McCrispy chicken sandwich meal, which includes a sandwich, fries, and a drink, costs $10.59, excluding tax.
The chicken sandwich comes topped with mayonnaise and thick-cut, crunchy pickles
The sandwich was much thicker than any fast-food chicken sandwich I’ve had, and that’s intentional.
Chili’s said a local study found its chicken sandwich fillet is more than 80% larger than the average McDonald’s McCrispy breaded fillet.
“If we can have a superior product that tastes great and is a great value, people are going to come,” CEO Kevin Hochman told Business Insider. “And then if we can execute it, they’re going to come back.”
Chili’s also hand-breads its chicken fillets in-house, rather than re-frying them from frozen, which Hochman said is part of the chain’s mission to focus on menu improvements, not just innovation.
I can see why the chicken sandwich is helping to boost sales
Each bite was a satisfying mix of salty, briny, and savory flavors, with the tangy pickles cutting through the richness of the chicken.
However, the texture is what ultimately gives the Chili’s sandwich the edge over fast-food chicken sandwiches. The coating stayed crunchy from the first bite to the last, making this a sandwich that lives up to its “crispy” name.
The value proposition was just as convincing. For $10.99, my meal came with fries, bottomless chips and salsa, and an unlimited fountain drink.
With this meal, Chili’s outperforms fast-food restaurants on both taste and value, even if it can’t compete with the speed and convenience of a drive-thru.
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