KFC is bringing back a fan-favorite menu item
By Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business
Kentucky Fried Chicken is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly decade-long hiatus.
Beginning Monday, KFC is adding wraps to its menus at select Atlanta-area restaurants for a limited time. Fans have been demanding the company bring back the items previously called “KFC Twister Wraps” since they were pulled from menus in 2014.
The revamped version, called simply “Kentucky Fried Chicken Wraps,” comes in three options: a classic chicken wrap, a macaroni and cheese wrap that combines a chicken tender with its popular side dish, and a wrap that combines a chicken tender with coleslaw. Each item costs $3.
As of now it’s a pilot, and KFC posted the list of restaurants where the wraps are available on its website. If they prove popular with customers at those locations the chain could roll them out nationwide in the coming months.
These kinds of campaigns are common in the fast food world: Among all consumer groups, competition in this space is particularly tight. One way for brands to stand out is to test new items and make changes to menus whenever possible, creating buzz along the way.
Earlier this year, for example, KFC tested a new type of chicken nugget and also offered a plant-based fried chicken nugget alternative for a limited time. That launch “elevated the brand and boosted relevance,” David Gibbs, CEO of KFC’s parent company Yum Brands, said during a May call with analysts.
The new wrap (and nuggets) have another potential advantage: They’re perfect for snacking, a trend that’s seeing a comeback as consumers adapt to hybrid work or return to the office. Nuggets could be a way for KFC to remind customers that its offerings can easily be eaten on the go.
KFC’s new wraps could also attract disappointed McDonald’s fans who have been asking the chain to bring back its Snack Wraps. McDonald’s reportedly has no plans for its own wrap revamp.
-— CNN Business’ Danielle Wiener-Bronner contributed to this report.
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