Popeyes Adds Exciting New Item To Menu Nationwide

Popeyes took the nation by storm when it added a fried-chicken sandwich to its menu in 2019, leading to an incredible demand and subsequent shortages at the height of its popularity.

Apparently, that wasn't enough for the Louisiana based national fried chicken chain.

Bloomberg.com reports Popeyes is planning to add chicken nuggets to its menu later this month, but this time planning ahead, with more than six months worth of frozen-chicken inventory to meet expected demands.

Popeyes Americas President Sami Siddiqui told Bloomberg that the company is confident it has sufficient supplies when it introduces its nuggets nationwide on July 27, amid a rising demand for dining out in U.S. restaurants, which has caused reported shortages and higher prices for chicken, as well as other key ingredients for supply chains.

“Demand is very high right now, and consumer spending is surging” as the country emerges from the pandemic, Siddiqui said. “We’re planning appropriately.”

Popeyes temporarily ran out of its chicken sandwich shortly after its initial release in 2019, which was so popular it caused traffic jams around locations nationwide when it was available during its early run.

That success will be difficult to match, but the fried chicken chain is confident after testing the new nuggets in markets this year including Austin, Texas and Denver, Colorado, while also ensuring employees are better prepared for a potential high demand.

Chicken prices for producers reached an all-time high in May amid a greater demand for dining in, increasing 2.1%, which was the eighth consecutive monthly increase reported.

“We work really closely with our suppliers,” Siddiqui said. “Supply chains are ramping up.”

Popeyes' nuggets announcement comes shortly after McDonald's Corp. and Yum! Brands Inc.'s KFC chain recently unveiled their own revamped fried chicken sandwiches.