KFC joins cheap eats craze
June 4th, 2008, 6:02 pm · 4 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
Updated 6/5 with additional comments from KFC
KFC officially debuted its new Value Menu this week, which includes nine different chicken products that cost 99 cents, $1.49 or $1.99.
The items include: three types of Snackers, two types of Toasted Wraps, the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Popcorn Chicken Snack Box, Honey BBQ Sandwich and Original Recipe Sandwich.
The new items created for the menu include the Apple Turnovers, Colonel’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich, the side salad, the Popcorn Chicken Snack Box and the premium Original Recipe Sandwich.
Tom Meyer, an account supervisor at KFC’s Santa Ana ad agency DGWB, said the chain revamped its cheap eats menu to keep up with rivals.
“Research showed us that KFC needed to get into the game with a value menu,” said Meyer, who used to work at Lake Forest-based Del Taco. “We’ve been working on the KFC Value Menu for almost a year but now it is even more essential since the competition has turned up the heat on value.”
The new Value Menu is only good in Southern California KFC restaurants, the company said.
I wonder why? Everyone’s hurting from mind-boggling fuel and food costs, not just Southern California.
Anyway, the chain joins the fray of fast food joints emphasizing value menu these days, including Irvine-based Taco Bell. Both KFC and Taco Bell are owned by the same company, Yum Brands. Taco Bell’s new value menu offers items at 79 cents, 89 cents and 99 cents.
Del Taco is promoting a $2.99 meal deal good for 2 bean & cheese burritos, 1 taco (cripsy beef) and a regular drink. Also, for $2 you can get 2 breakfast burritos and one 5 count hashbrown sticks during morning grub hours. On the libation side, Taco Mesa is offering 50-cent margaritas on Monday nights.
For more information on meal deals, see my New on the Menu special section.
Freebie alert: KFC customers can download a coupon for a free Original Recipe Sandwich with the purchase of a large drink at the web site www.kfc-la.com from now until July 13, 2008.
Related links:
- Maven talks fast-food wars with CBS reporter
- Taco Bell targeting cheap, cheap eats
- REVIEW: Testing Taco Bell’s 79, 89, 99 value menu
- OCMEX blogger weighs in on new Taco Bell, Del Taco menu items
June 4th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Those “Apple Turnovers” look exactly like the long gone and almost forgotten McDonald’s Fried Apple Pies!
McDonald’s switched to baked pie because of the food police, and a much much longer hold time (less waste, larger profit). Only a few McDonald’s in the USA still offer the fried pie, mostly those without the space for the special oven used for the baked pies.
McDonald’s used to have other flavors of their delicious fried pies including cherry and mixed fruit (sort of like canned fruit cocktail turned into pie filling).
I can find no mention of them on the KFC website, are they new?
June 5th, 2008 at 8:22 am
JohnB: I updated the post just now so hopefully your question will be answered…Nancy
June 5th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I had them and they’re awesome. I also love the toasted wrap. Nice that KFC has things I like for lunch.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:09 am
I just had those KFC apple pies and they are just like the old McD’s ones. They fried and delicious, just the way I remembered them.
I’m going back for more!!