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Chicken sandwich wars
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McDonald’s has seen its share of competition through the years and has reacted to it with mixed results. Just recently, the fast-food giant tried to take on Starbucks by offering its own “Premium Roast Coffee,” and now Mickey D’s is trying to win back market share from one of my favorites, Chick-fil-A.
It’s no secret that McDonald’s new “Southern Style Chicken Sandwich” is a direct knock-off of Chick-fil-A’s flagship product, right down to the buttered bun with two pickles slapped on. (There’s also a biscuit version much like Chick-fil-A’s breakfast offering.) Plus, McDonald’s developed and tested the sandwich right in Chick-fil-A’s backyard, metro Atlanta, and success there led to it’s nationwide roll-out earlier this month. Today, you can try one for free with the purchase of a medium or large drink. If you’ve eaten one, let us know what you think. Has McDonald’s captured the essence of the Chick-fil-A sandwich? Or should they stick to the McRib?
I’ve always liked Chick-fil-A, even when I only could get one when I happened to be at the mall. Now with its freestanding locations, I’m able to get a Chick-fil-A fix more often, and I appreciate how the local franchisee does a lot to support schools in the area, including my daughter’s. I also respect founder Truett Cathy’s decision to keep his restaurants closed on Sundays. A decision that, according to the FAQ at Chick-fil-A’s website, was made for both practical and spiritual reasons: “[Cathy] believes that all franchised Chick-fil-A Operators and Restaurant employees should have an opportunity to rest, spend time with family and friends, and worship if they choose to do so.”
Yesterday, as I was driving through west-central North Carolina, I saw a billboard touting McDonald’s new offering while simultaneously taking a jab at Chick-fil-A’s never-on-Sunday policy. It read something like, “McDonald’s New Southern Style Chicken Sandwich, available all-day, every day, including Sundays.” That just made me want to stick with Chick-fil-A even more.
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Soul searching
I haven’t tried McD’s new chicken sandwich, but I don’t need to. I’m sticking to Chick-fil-A–good chicken sandwiches, and awesome business principles.
Well… that tears it. I used to get a small hamburger there once in a while, but this jab at Chick-fil-A has cost them my business.
When you mentioned the free sandwich, I thought maybe I’d give it a try. They do have good salads. But the billboard changed my mind.
Too bad there’s no Chick-fil-A nearby.
What Pauline said. Are there any Chil-fil-As west of the Mississippi?
McDonald’s is not the only one jumping on the Chic-Fil-A bandwagon. Arby’s has one too. Seems that a lot of fast food places are knocking off each other rather than sticking with what they do best.
I’m glad I can order a Chicken Sandwich now without having god forced down my throat…way to go McDonalds!
Peter L: Here’s a link to a Chick-fil-A’s online restaurant locater.
No thanks, Grandma makes the best meals in town so I will stay home and eat “Chicken Whatever it is but it sure tastes great” or “beef or pork whatever”. The best place to eat in town is here and the Heaven and Earth bars for Dessert are to die for.
I have suggested we go out and she says “no, I’ll just make…” So I’m pretty happy.
Yeah, I don’t like that jab at Chick-fil-A one bit. I do like Chick-fil-A but rarely eat there (the local ones that I know about are near my church, not my home, and they’re rather expensive anyway).
Yes, I tried the new McDonald’s sandwich last night. (I got coupons for one and one breakfast sandwich, free, in my last amazon.com order.) I didn’t realize who they were imitating. I was surprised it had so few condiments, compared to their usual, but found it tasty (better than their other chicken sandwich, which is too cole-slaw-y).
Years ago McDonald’s lost their opportunity to sell me another burger. Remember when they were trying hard to capture the business of adults and not just kids? They put out a new burger and advertised it “for consenting adults only.” I stayed away from them for a while, didn’t try the sandwich, and as I recall not many other people did either and it died very quickly. McDonald’s needs to stick with what works for them–and like it or not, that includes “nice” and “kid-friendly”–not jabs at competitors and veiled sexual hints.
Years ago McDonald’s lost their opportunity to sell me another burger. Remember when they were trying hard to capture the business of adults and not just kids? They put out a new burger and advertised it “for consenting adults only.” I stayed away from them for a while, didn’t try the sandwich, and as I recall not many other people did either and it died very quickly. McDonald’s needs to stick with what works for them–and like it or not, that includes “nice” and “kid-friendly”–not jabs at competitors and veiled sexual hints. They simply aren’t the right company to try being “edgy” when they release a new product, and they lose their core business when they try.
I happened to be traveling this morning and stopped by McD’s for a cup of coffee. Of course, the offer of a free sandwich was not bad either. I got the breakfast version which was nothing more than a dry piece of chicken on a biscuit. That’s all, nothing else.
Being from Chicago, I don’t get to have Chick-fil-A much anymore. Remembering my previous life south of the Mason-Dixon line, this sandwich doesn’t have a chance.
Sorry about the double post. Something else was running in the background, and the post just hung there as though it hadn’t gone through. (But I did add another sentence in the meantime.) I’m not getting old and repeating myself, honest. I’m not getting old…
It seems as if McD’s has been slowly throwing its morals out the window one at a time; one of the latest being its large amount of support thrown behind leading gay-rights organizations.
Cheryl D.,
For a lot of families, being “kid-friendly” means having meals adults will be willing to buy and eat while their kids play in the PlayPlace. We don’t go often, but once in a while it’s a great place for my younger son to get in some active play without my having to either play with him or keep as close an eye on him as I do at an outdoor park. I enjoy a chicken ranch salad (no dressing, the salad actually tastes good enough without it) and a book, with no interruptions for sometimes a whole ten minutes at a time.
Where we used to live, Burger King had an outdoor play area, and I’d go to BK here if they had that. (Being fenced in, it was still a much more secure area than a city park.)
Janedoe: Do you have a source for that? That is rather disturbing. It really seems as though McDonald’s is embarrassed by its “kid-friendly” image, and I don’t understand that. I know there are fewer children around, but they still had that market captured, plus a good part of the adult world–why alienate your base?
Well, those that want to really punish Micky D’s for trying a bad copy of a great sandwich (and company) should definitely get a free sandwich from them today. Hurting their pocket is something they can’t abide.
If they ever thought about not being open on Sunday, I’m sure their brain would explode all over their McRibs just thinking about all that lost revenue.
But, if you don’t like MD’s then don’t ever go in again until they are giving you something for free.
I have to admit, I would rather eat at any other fast food place myself and do too but, it is because MD’s has the worst food of the lot.
#6 BLAHBLAH,
No one has ever forced God down your throat when ordering a chicken sandwich. No not ever, not anywhere, not even when ordering any sandwich period. The only thing forced down your throat by yourself with no help from others are your own lies, erroneous assumptions and insane imaginations. But you are welcome to them since only you suffer from them.
no they did, they actually gave me my chicken sandwich with a side of shredded bible and made me finish my meal.
It seems as if McD’s has been slowly throwing its morals out the window one at a time.
They’re a secular, unbelieving organization. We really shouldn’t be surprised … or even terribly upset. Scripture warns us that this is what unbelievers do, and we can’t expect them to have the same goals that we do.
I just got back from trying it. I couldn’t pass up the free sandwich.
It was hot and fresh and tasted almost identical to a Chik-Fil-A sandwich. However, the bun was smaller and not as good–it was a typical McDonald’s hamburger bun. In addition, they did not make either mayonnaise or mustard available, so I ate it dry.
I won’t go back and order another one.
I tried it today. I thought it was very similar to chik-fil-a’s, but it wasn’t as good. The bun was smaller and the breading on the chicken not as flavorful.
Mc’d’s has always been about stealing. One of my favorite places to go when I was little was burger chef. they offered a kid’s meal. Mc’d’s stole their idea. Burger chef sued, but lost the lawsuit because it was ruled that they couldn’t own the kid’s meal even if they came up with the idea. Within a year they went out of business.
Today is free iced coffee day at Dunkin Donuts just so you know.
PeterL: Yes, there are Chik-Fil-As west of the Mississippi. There’s a free standing one about a mile from my house in N. San Diego County, and others in several malls that I’ve visited. There are probably more free standing ones, too, I just haven’t noticed them. I only went there once, and I got a kind of wrap. It was pretty good, but as I haven’t made a point of going back, I guess it wasn’t outstanding.
I prefer my fast food to be Mexican flavored, so I’m off to meet a friend at Del Taco in a few minutes.
Thanks for the tip. I had a “free” sandwich for lunch. With what they charge for a cup of ice with a dash of soda…
I’ll second, or third, the previous reviews. Not as good as CfA.
Every fast food place tries to “cannibalize” each other’s customers. There is a long in the industry of comparing and contrasting and poking fun at your competitor. Remember Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” commercial that poked fun at McD’s burgers?
As for McD’s and the new sandwich, I’ll try it definitely. I try to limit how much business I give Chick-fil-A because I don’t like giving money to their religious/political agenda. But I do give in every now and then.
There is a long history in the industry…
Sorry.
I had my second free one today. Last night I ate it “dry” and found it good. Today I asked for barbecue sauce, added it, and found that good too. And it was hot enough that I noticed steam rising from the sandwich when I was down to my last two or three bites.
I don’t normally order soda, though, and when I paid for a medium drink, to get the free sandwich, I was reminded why!
I waited for the lunch crowd to die down and went about an hour ago for my “freebie.” It was better by far than any chicken product I’ve ever had at McDonald’s (although I haven’t had many of their recent creations, but I used to eat those things they call “nuggets”). The Southern Style Chicken Sandwich, however, was no match for the original Chick-fil-A. Bread wasn’t as good or as buttery (and smaller as others have noted), and when you bit down on it, it didn’t have that unique, hot and steamy Chick-fil-A burst of flavor.
BTW, I always order my Chick-fil-A sandwich sans pickles (just don’t like ‘em). Because of the “special promotion,” McDonald’s refused to give me one without today. Just another reason for me to not go back!
Or should they stick to the McRib?
Well, since the McRib is about the nasty sandwich ever concocted (imho, of course), I’d hope for McD’s sake they don’t!
Chick-Fil-A does a great breakfast burrito (vastly superior to McD’s). Cameron and I were on the road last summer, traveling from Atlanta to Louisville, and lamenting the fact that it was after 11 am, so Chick-Fil-A was no longer serving b’fast. As we neared Nashville, we suddenly realized we were actually on central time, and it wasn’t 10:30 yet! We pulled into a CFA and enjoyed b’fast for lunch!
Thanks for the link, Mickey. I see the nearest one is on the Mizzou Campus in Columbia, MO, just 90 miles away. But I never go there. I also see there are two in the St. Louis area (130 miles) on my route to my brother’s house in SE MO. I’ll have to stop at one next time we head south.
Kayvee- Since I am almost 2000 miles from San Diego, I’ll have to pass on your neighborhood store.
You know, there is something odd about Chik-Fil-A not opening on Sundays, yet advertising on Sunday NFL games (at least I think I remember them doing so).
Also, I think Chick-fil-A has it over McDonald’s in its packaging. Chick-fil-A’s foil pouch keeps the chicken hotter and helps steam the bun. McDonald’s cardboard container just … contains it.
McD’s has always had a problem with their food being hot and fresh. The trick is to special order it. While they don’t advertise that they do it, they will if you ask.
Anlir: “While they don’t advertise that they do it, they will if you ask.”
Except today …
Agreed, Anlir. My wife does not like mayo, so always orders her fish sandwich without the tartar sauce. She has never had a cold one yet!
While McD’s is trying to be green, they have forgotten how to keep things fresh and hot.
MIckey,
I can’t believe McD’s refused to leave the pickle off. I bet the franchise owner would wring their neck for that if they knew.
I would have been tempted to unwrap the sandwich and remove the pickles right there at the counter.
Anlir, when I was a kid, I hated onions and McD’s always put them on their hamburgers (well, at least the quarter pounders). I would always have to “special order” them, and it would seem to take forever. And most of the time, it tasted like they had just scrapped the onions off in the back. This was one of the reasons I preferred places like Burger King and Wendy’s since they made the burgers (at least the “fixin’s”) after you ordered.
Of course, that was a LONG time ago, and McD’s has come a long away in being customer friendly. The menu is much better and the food tastes much better. They have done much to learn from the competition and adapt (dollar menus, better coffee, salads, etc.). It is probably a huge tip of the hat to Chick-Fil-A that McD’s has taken notice and tried to copy their chicken sandwich!
We interrupt this discussion for a personal note:
TJ- I believe it is the Black Raspberry at Graeter’s. I hope it has the chocolate chunks.
We now resume our regular discussion.
I agree with #15. Chick-fil-A is more kids friendly and the play place is a good place to get a break on a rainy day.. McDonald’s play places are almost always outside and I could go to the park for free.
Thanks, Paula! Not only are your contributions acknowledged and appreciated, but they have also reminded me that I have leftover ice cream from Tuesday still in the freezer…
Those chick fil a foil bags are also a bad thing if you leave them in the bag too long, they will cause the bread to get all wet, what annoys me about chick fil a is their strangle hold over their franchise. Its almost impossible to become a franchisee, they dont even alow you to open in a specific market, you have to open the store where they tell you.
Anlir,
Today there was a note at the drive-thru and at the counters: no special orders, no grilled version, etc.
I ordered a double cheeseburger instead. Sounds like I got the better end of the deal…
They were advertised as “free” if you bought a medium or large drink; I ordered a medium iced-tea and the sandwich and she told me I had to order a large drink to get the sandwich free. I reminded her of what the sign right in front of me read and she acted offended!??
The sandwich is ok but nothing I’d go out of my way for. (But then nothing at McDonald’s is other than their sweet tea!) I’ve never been to a Chick-Fil-A.
Well, Arby’s has stopped serving their Southern chicken sandwiches, according to the person I spoke to, because of a lawsuit by McD’s.
Another reason not to eat at the arches any more. (Because health and nutrition certainly weren’t good enough reasons.)
Word of advice on Arby’s: avoid the chocolate turnovers. They’re addictive.
Steven- The jamocha shakes are addictive, too.
Mmmm. jamocha! (a la Homer Simpson)
BTW, I saw another McDonald’s billboard here in Greensboro last night. I got a better look at this one, and it read “Available every day, including Sundays.”
Mickey,
I may have to find another place to grab lunch on Thursdays (the only day I’m out and about at lunchtime). Thanks for posting that.
Now, if only our single CFA weren’t way on the other side of town!
Y’know, McDonald’s is a business, not a religious organization. If they closed on every major religion’s day of worship (to be respectful) they’d lose Fridays (Jews and Moslems)) Sundays (Christian) and Saturdays (Seventh-Day Adventists.)
Their being open on Sundays is not a statement of anti-Christian values. It’s a statement of pro-capitalist desire to make money.
And capitalism says I can choose where to spend my money. Will I ever eat at McD’s again? Probably. But I can choose to spend more of my money elsewhere.
And it was a direct “slap” at CFA, which is the part that bothers me, not the fact that McD’s is open on Sunday.
Cheryl #16 my source for comment #16 was www.afa.net the American Family Association.