New York CNN store —
Kentucky Fried Chicken is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly decade hiatus.
Beginning Monday, KFC is adding wraps to its menus at select Atlanta-area restaurants for a limited time. Fans have been urging the company to bring back the items previously dubbed “KFC Twister Wraps” since they were pulled from menus in 2014.
The revamped version, simply called “Kentucky Fried Chicken Wraps,” comes in three flavors: a classic chicken wrap, a macaroni and cheese wrap that combines a chicken tender with its popular side dish, and a wrap that combines a chicken tender combined with coleslaw. Each item costs $3.
It’s a pilot as of now, and KFC has posted the list of restaurants where the wraps are available on its website. If they prove popular with customers in those locations, the chain could roll them out nationwide in the coming months.
Such actions are common in the fast food world: among all consumer groups, competition in this area is especially fierce. One way for brands to stand out from the crowd is to test new items and, whenever possible, make changes to menus while creating excitement.
For example, earlier this year, KFC was testing a new breed of chicken nuggets, and for a limited time also offered a plant-based fried chicken nugget alternative. That launch “added value to the brand and increased relevancy,” said David Gibbs, CEO of KFC’s parent company Yum Brands, during a call with analysts in May.
The new wraps (and nuggets) have another potential benefit: they’re perfect for snacking, a trend that’s making a comeback as consumers adapt to hybrid work or return to the office. Nuggets could be a way for KFC to remind customers that its offerings can easily be eaten on the go.
KFC’s new wraps could also draw disappointed McDonald’s (MCD) fans, who have asked the chain to bring back their snack wraps. McDonald’s (MCD) reportedly has no plans for its own packaging overhaul.
-— Danielle Wiener-Bronner of CNN Business contributed to this report.