It’s reminiscent of the old saying, about how hard it is turn an ocean liner. McDonald’s made its name and fame on beef. But recent sales figures have revealed a trend. Is McD’s veering away from beef, toward chicken?
McDonald’s ‘original’ McCrispy, (c 2023): A bow to the coming dominance
of chicken in what was once exclusively the ‘burger’ industry?
Latest Fast Food trend reports indicate that McDonald’s Chicken Sandwich, the McCrispy, is overtaking its classic hamburger offerings in popularity…
Not in a month of Sundays…
… Would one have imagined that McDonald’s, the de facto King of Burgers, would abandon its love affair with beef to take up with a new flame. Nevertheless, the Chicken War that started several years ago, before the COVID Crisis, has taken a toll on the chain’s McStocism.
“It’s a trend that we’ll continue to monitor,” Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald’s USA, told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). “Obviously, the bigger trend around protein consumption is really around chicken.”
Dawn of the Chicken Era
The rise of chicken in the protein pecking order of the Fast Food industry is generally agreed to have begin in 2019. That’s when Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen launched – amid great fanfare, a simple fried chicken breast sandwich. More or less a clone of Chick-Fil-A (CFA)’s iconic and much loved ‘original’ version.
Fans lined up down the street and around the block for a chance to taste Popeye’s new offering. Fights broke out over places in line. Some rabid devotées even mugged fellow fans for their sandwiches.
Since then, virtually all the major players in the Fast Food sector have introduced their own version of the ‘universal’ Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich. Some have stuck to the KISS principle, following CFA’s lead. Others are offering a variety of versions, with more or fewer condiments and toppings, and the choice of ‘original’ or ‘spicy’. Significantly, all have enjoyed persistent popularity.
While we slept…
We were all looking in other directions – focusing on the industry’s restaurant-of-the-future plans, and players’ struggles to stay relevant in a rapidly emulsifying market. While behind our backs, Fast Food fans were looking away from beef toward chicken.
Staying power
“Some of it may be driven by climate… Some of it will be driven by health decisions,’ Erlinger predicts. “Ultimately, it’s going to be the consumer’s choice. But they seem to be leaning more towards chicken.”
Virtually every market survey in the last year or so confirms that the chicken trend has real staying power. Even McDonald’s, which is accustomed to leading the trends and premiering new innovations in its industry, is grudgingly recognising the current sea – or rather, barnyard – change in consumer preferences.
“We’re poised to serve that trend well,” Erlinger says. “That’s what we’re making investments in.”
My take
I think Erlinger’s economic analysis encapsulates the situation perfectly:
“People change what they eat very slowly over time,” Erlinger explains. “So yes, we are seeing those slow changes over time. I think some of it is driven by affordability… We know that chicken is less expensive to produce, and so for a consumer that’s looking for more affordable food, chicken is a great option right now.”
Which is what brought to mind the comparison with ‘turning an ocean liner’.
Even so, we’re rapidly nearing a point in human history where we will be forced to switch from animal to plant protein, to meet the challenge of sustainability in the face of a dramatically changing global climate.
If chicken is a suitable bridging protein on the way to a meat-free future… I can think of much worse ways to get there!
~ Maggie J.