Fast Food Restaurants Flock to Offer Chicken Dishes

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Chicken has historically been a more cost-effective option for restaurants compared to beef, a trend that dates back to the introduction of McNuggets by McDonald’s in the early 1980s. This cost disparity has widened recently, with government data indicating an 8.6% increase in beef prices and only a 1.3% uptick in chicken prices last year.

Amidst consumer resistance to menu price hikes, chicken is gaining popularity in the fast food industry.

Cost is not the sole driving factor behind this shift. Chicken is favored by younger demographics who perceive it as a healthier alternative to beef, and the variety of dipping sauce options adds to its appeal. (Who can resist fry sauce?)

Specialty chicken chains are seizing this opportunity. Raising Cane’s climbed nine spots to No. 16 in an annual ranking of the top 50 U.S. restaurants by consumer spending. Wingstop also made significant progress, moving up eight spots to No. 21. Chick-fil-A maintained its third-place ranking, trailing behind Starbucks and McDonald’s, the latter of which recently introduced new McCrispy Strips.

Addressing the demand for more chicken products, McDonald’s stated in a press release, “We’ve heeded the feedback from our fans on social media and other platforms, and it’s clear that they crave more chicken options.”