Orange County Register

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. (2009 Update: KFC tweaks value menu for national debut.)

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

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