Consumers flock to chicken sandwiches

February 11th, 2008, 3:00 am · Post a Comment · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

Can the chicken sandwich save restaurants from a major economic slump?

Maybe. Times are tough for restaurants, but many are seeing solid gains for one American staple: the chicken sandwich, according to a new NPD Group survey.

“It is the fastest growing food offering at American eateries, and is now appearing on more menus than ever before,” said NPD, a New York firm that tracks consumer trends.

Americans ate about 3.7 billion servings of chicken sandwiches at restaurants for the year ended November, 2007. That’s up 8 percent from the previous year, same period, NPD said.

That’s good news perhaps for chicken chains such as Chick-fil-A, whose West Coast headquarters is in Irvine.

“That’s what we do best,” said spokesman Rob Kremer.

Still, the survey said a plain chicken sandwich won’t cut it for consumers. Diners want chains to surprise them with new flavors, including tasty sauces and a variety of cheeses, the report said.

“We are seeing cheese appearing on more sandwiches and more interesting sauces across the board,” says Jack Li, a strategist for Datassential.

The Los Angeles-based firm tracks restaurant menu trends, and worked with NPD on creating the report. Here’s a few other results from the survey:

The percent of restaurants using chipotle flavors on chicken grew by 96 percent between 2005 and 2007.
Use of breads like focaccia, ciabatta and panini appear on more menus than ever before.
Offerings of chicken panini sandwiches are up 35 percent since 2006.

Tell me:

What fast-food chain serves the best chicken sandwich?