Latest news with #PotatoWedges
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
KFC is bringing back two axed menu items by ‘obsessive demand' in US
Colonel Sanders and his greasy-fingered army appear to be in a generous mood this summer as KFC is answering years of public pleas. From Monday (August 18), the chain will be bringing back its long-gone and much-missed Potato Wedges and Hot & Spicy Wings to its restaurants right across the United States. The wedges, a KFC staple since the mid-1990s, became a real fan favourite before being controversially dropped from the colonel's menu back in 2020. The wings, known for their fiery kick, last appeared nearly two years ago. The bad news? Both will be available for only a limited time (Picture: Getty Images) The return of the wedges is largely due to relentless customer lobbying. Over the years, thousands of KFC fans have taken to social media to share memories of - and fondness for -the thick-cut potatoes, while others signed petitions urging the fast-food giant to bring them back. KFC even tested a local relaunch earlier this year down in Tampa, Florida, which led to rapid sell-outs in multiple outlets. That trial run appears to have confirmed national appetite for their return (Picture: KFC) Hot & Spicy Wings are also making a comeback, offering a marinated heat balanced with KFC's Extra Crispy flour coating. Each wing is double-breaded to create a satisfying crunch before giving way to tender chicken inside. The pairing of the wings with the wedges is being used as a selling point by the fried chicken giants, who are pushing the two as a perfect snacking duo (Picture: KFC) Catherine Tan-Gillespie, president of KFC US, says the decision reflects the brand's commitment to listening to customers. 'Wedge lovers, we heard you and we agree it's been five long years without wedges. But the wait is over,' she said. She added that the reintroduction is not just nostalgia but part of a broader 'Kentucky Fried Comeback' to give diners more reasons to visit and revisit the chain (Picture: Getty Images) Customers will be able to order wedges as a side, swap them in place of another menu item, or choose the new six-piece wings and wedges combo that includes a medium drink. Those who prefer fries won't be left out, though - KFC's Secret Recipe Fries are set to remain very much on the menu alongside the returning favourites (Picture: Getty Images) The timing is strategic, arriving just ahead of back-to-school season and the start of so many sporting seasons kicking back off again. Limited-time menu releases have become an effective way for fast-food brands to create buzz and drive repeat visits. KFC will be hoping that the wedges and wings not only draw in old customers who may have wandered away from the chain, but also encourage new ones to give their menu a try (Picture: Getty Images) With a confirmed national rollout and plenty of advance notice, demand is expected to be pretty high. So KFC is urging customers to visit while supplies last to avoid disappointment. Given how quickly they sold out during the Tampa trial, fans may want to act early to make sure they don't miss out when those tasty wedges and wings are cooked up at their nearest branch (Picture: Getty Images) Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
KFC is bringing back this fan-favorite side dish after five long years
Fans begged, tweeted and even petitioned, and The Colonel finally answered. Starting Monday, August 18, two cult-favorite KFC menu items are making their grand return nationwide: welcome back, Potato Wedges and Hot & Spicy Wings! If you were part of the 1990s and early-2000s wedge craze, you know these aren't just any fries. KFC's thick-cut, seasoned Potato Wedges earned legendary status before their controversial 2020 disappearance. In Tampa, FL, a surprise test drop of the wedges earlier this year sold out in some spots within hours. Now, after five years, they're back for all KFC lovers nationwide. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, these wedged spuds are side-dish superstars. Along for the ride are KFC's Hot & Spicy Wings, absent from the chain's menus for nearly two years. Marinated in a fiery blend of spices then double hand-breaded in the restaurant's signature "Extra Crispy" flour, these wings pack the perfect level of kick. Together, these two returning sides are the ultimate comfort-meets-heat combo, available solo or in the new Wings & Wedges Combo (which consists of six wings, potato wedges and a medium drink). KFC's timing is spot on. It's football season, school is back and appetites are running high. To celebrate, the chain is also rolling out a roster of deals, including the $3.99 KFC Chicken Sandwich, a crowd-ready $20 Wings & Wedges Fan Favorites Box (10 Hot & Spicy Wings, 12 chicken nuggets, potato wedges, four biscuits and four sauces) and 20 Wings for $20 (a digital-exclusive deal starting Thursday, September 4). The chain is also extending its popular $10 Tuesdays, which gets you eight pieces of fried chicken or eight Original Recipe tenders for ten bucks. Both the potato wedges and chicken wings are available while supplies last, so if you've been dreaming of dunking crispy tubers into KFC sauce or polishing off a dozen spicy drumsticks in one sitting, don't sleep on this limited-time deal.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Back by obsessive demand' as KFC brings back two discontinued menu items
Kentucky Fried Chicken will bring back some oldies, but goodies, to their latest menu offerings. The fast-food chain announced Aug. 11 that potato wedges and hot & spicy wings are "officially back by obsessive demand." Both returning menu items will be available for purchase at KFC restaurants nationwide starting next week. KFC couldn't keep the good news to themselves, writing "HERE, DAMN." in an X post that has now been viewed over ten million times. "you asked (a lot), and we listened. wedges are back," KFC wrote. According to KFC, they've heard fans "clamoring" for a chance to taste their potato wedges (again) via thousands of social media comments and petition signatures – for years. "When KFC fired up a surprise drop of wedges in the Tampa, Fla. market, local fans were elated, leading to an early sellout in some restaurants," the fast-food chain said. "KFC first introduced Potato Wedges in the mid-1990s as a menu staple, earning cult status in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before a hotly debated discontinuation in 2020." The wait for KFC's potato wedges (and wings) is now over. Here's what to know about their long-awaited return, including how to get them. Potato wedges, wings back at KFC soon KFC's potato wedges, in addition to the hot & spicy wings, will return to the menu on Monday, Aug. 18. "While wedges make a comeback after five years, wings make their triumphant return after nearly two years—both are available while supplies last, so get them while they're hot and crispy," KFC said. Customers will either be able to purchase a side of wedges, substitute any side for wedges, or try them in a new six-piece wings and wedges combo. (FYI: Secret Recipe Fries will still be available on KFC menus.) In addition to the returning menu items, KFC is serving up "crave-worthy deals" designed to bring big flavor without breaking the bank this season:
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How KFC's Potato Wedge LTO ties into its comeback strategy
This story was originally published on Restaurant Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Restaurant Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Kentucky Fried Chicken is bringing back Potato Wedges and Hot & Spicy Wings as limited-time offerings starting Aug. 18, the chicken chain announced Monday. The menu play comes as KFC looks to improve U.S. sales, which have struggled for years. The brand said restaurants sold out of wedges during a successful market test in Tampa, Florida, suggesting strong diner demand. The Wedges are available on their own, as a substitute for other sides or in a new six-wing combo. Secret Recipe French Fries remain on KFC's menu. KFC's move resembles sister brand Taco Bell's strategy of bringing back fan favorites, sometimes after years of absence from the menu, to generate significant sales hype. Dive Insight: While many other chains bring back LTOs — McDonald's with its McRib and Starbucks' seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte — Yum's LTO hype cycle also occasionally results in recurrent menu items joining the permanent menu at its brands. In 2022, Taco Bell brought back Mexican Pizzas as an LTO, selling 45 million in four months, before adding it to its permanent menu. KFC has not offered Potato Wedges on its menu for five years, according to the press release, and the Hot & Spicy Wings have been off-menu for two years. Catherine Tan-Gillespie, the brand's U.S. president and former chief marketing officer, said the menu items were an example of how KFC uses consumer nostalgia to improve its operations. 'We're turning feedback into action as we chart our Kentucky Fried Comeback, a bold, brand-wide rally to give people more reasons to fall in love with us all over again,' Tan-Gillespie said. VALUE MENU ADDITIONS KFC's fall value deals Release date: Aug. 18 and Sept. 4 $3.99 KFC Chicken Sandwich: A chicken breast filet on a toasted brioche bun, topped with pickles and mayo or spicy mayo, available starting Aug. 18. $20 Wings & Wedges Fan Favorites Box: 10 Hot & Spicy Wings, 12 KFC Chicken Nuggets, Potato Wedges, four biscuits and four dipping sauces, available starting Aug. 18. 20 Wings for $20: A digital-only offer for 20 Hot & Spicy Wings and four dipping sauces, available starting Sept. 4. $10 Tuesdays: A continuation of a popular deal offering a choice between eight pieces of classic fried chicken or eight Original Recipe Tenders for just $10 on Tuesdays. But Taco Bell's success with LTOs and menu innovation is no guarantee the same playbook will work for KFC — high consumer price sensitivity may counteract some of the brand's menu moves or blunt other momentum-generating tactics. The brand also mixed its menu plays with new value deals, adding or extending four deals timed to back to school shopping and the advent of the football season. The chicken chain, despite its early entry into the 2024 value wars, has been a drag on Yum in its home market for a while, posting negative or flat comps every quarter since Q2 2023 and losing market share to competitors like Raising Cane's and Wingstop. Yum has gradually remade the chain's C-suite with hires like Tiffany Furman as development chief., The brand also promoted Scott Mezvinsky to division CEO at KFC earlier this year after a successful tenure as Taco Bell's president North America and International. LTO cycles and executive alumni aside, KFC may be mimicking Taco Bell's Cantina strategy with its Saucy concept in Florida and its Kwench by KFC brand lineup in the U.K. and Australia. Those concepts are meant to test potential additions to its menu, including premium drinks and sauces. The brand has also launched more tonally serious marketing in a bid to signal to consumers its intent to restore its reputation and sales. Recommended Reading KFC's new take on Colonel Sanders is serious about its 'Comeback Era' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
5 days ago
- Business
KFC brings back potato wedges and spicy wings by fan demand
KFC is answering fans' calls with the return of two beloved items. The fast food chain announced Monday that its popular Potato Wedges and top-rated Hot & Spicy Wings will be back by overwhelming demand starting Aug. 18 at KFC locations nationwide, according to a press release. Potato Wedges, introduced in the mid-1990s and a fan favorite through the late 1990s and early 2000s, were controversially discontinued in 2020. After five years, they're making a highly anticipated comeback. Meanwhile, Hot & Spicy Wings, known for their spicy marinade and double hand-breading in KFC's signature Extra Crispy flour, are returning after nearly two years. Both items will be available while supplies last. In a statement, KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie explained that the return of the Potato Wedges is a direct result of customer feedback. "Wedge-lovers, we heard you -- and we agree it's been five long years without wedges. But the wait is over," she said. "This isn't just a nostalgic nod. It's an example of how we're turning feedback into action as we chart our Kentucky Fried Comeback, a bold, brand-wide rally to give people more reasons to fall in love with us all over again." Customers can enjoy the wedges on their own, swap any side for wedges, or try the new six-piece Wings & Wedges combo, which includes a medium drink. For fry lovers, Secret Recipe Fries will still be available, the press release stated. Additionally, with back-to-school routines starting and football season kicking off, KFC is serving up several other crave-worthy deals: $3.99 KFC Chicken Sandwich: An Extra Crispy chicken filet on a toasted brioche bun with pickles and mayo or spicy mayo (available starting Aug. 18). $20 Wings & Wedges Fan Favorites Box: This box comes with 10 Hot & Spicy Wings, 12 Chicken Nuggets, Potato Wedges, four biscuits and four dipping sauces (available starting Aug. 18). 20 Wings for $20: Twenty Hot & Spicy Wings and four dipping sauces for just $20 (available starting Sept. 4 -- KFC digital exclusive). $10 Tuesdays: Get eight pieces of classic fried chicken or Original Recipe Tenders for just $10 every Tuesday.
