Talk about a comeback. For years, a roast chicken was the quintessential Sunday dinner, and Depression-era political campaigns invoked the phrase “a chicken in every pot” to symbolize economic prosperity. But in the ensuing decades, chicken’s cache faded as it became the also-ran protein in the fast food universe: It was chopped up into nuggets or chucked onto Caesar salads without a second thought.
Today, the tide has turned. Chicken was branded a “menu newsmaker” by the keynote speaker at a food industry conference last week, and a look at drive-through menus verifies that the humble bird is back in the spotlight with some fancy new accessories. Fast-food burger chains can’t add upscale chicken items to their menus fast enough, while chicken-centric brands are doubling down on gourmet-style offerings.
“Gourmet chicken menu items at quick service restaurants are a popular trend right now,” says Bonnie Riggs, restaurant industry analyst at NPD Group. Premium chicken sandwiches, wraps and strips help fast food chains blur the line between them and more upscale fast casual brands like Panera Bread and Chipotle that Riggs says “are currently the restaurant industry’s shining star.”