Who could’ve thought that one sandwich would forever change the fast food game. On Aug 12, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is well known for its biscuits and fried chicken, released their new chicken sandwich which immediately caused controversy. The new competitor was seen as a direct threat to Chick-fil-A, whose chicken sandwich has been a staple on that chain’s menu and uncontested on the chicken sandwich market. Popeyes foray into the sandwich market caused nationwide hysteria, as many of its locations ran out of the product within days. 

The Popeyes chicken sandwich consists of their signature chicken breading and marinade that is fried golden-brown on a brioche bun with pickles and mayonnaise. The sandwich itself is about a seven out of ten, pretty above average. The chicken is juicy on the inside and has a crisp exterior and tastes like any other fast food fried chicken and the bun that contains the meat is glorified hamburger bun that stands out in its own way.What really shines on the sandwich is the pickles, which while Chick-fil-A has, they’re spectacularly average and mostly flavorless, and spicy mayo, which is compared to the Chick-fil-A Sauce it has an overall better flavor and fits better with the theme of the sandwich. 

 Local Popeyes ran out of the chicken that was on the sandwiches but nationwide the main cause for the rarity of the meal was the shortage of buns. Because of this Popeyes revealed via YouTube video that customers could BYOB (Bring Your Own Bread) and create their own chicken sandwich. While this option is certainly something that anxious customers could do in the meantime while Popeyes comes up with a solution to the shortage, it is only temporary. The BYOB option has customers buy a three piece tender box and crate their own sandwich, which lacks the mayo, signature bun, and pickles the original has. 

In past years, the release of new items on fast food companies has become more of an event than a simple announcement.This event-tizing of releases shows how fast food companies have grown to a more prominent role in people’s lives.  What once was a single day with a banner or a simple flier telling the customer “Hey look at this new stuff!”, has turned into sometimes days long leadups to the official announcement, treating leaks of the mystery item almost the same as spoilers for a movie. Whether this change in society will have a major effect on the populace, only time will tell. I for one, am team Chick-fil-A.