Latest news with #TexasChicken
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
McDonald's, Wendy's and other burger joints are leaning into chicken
Chicken: It's what's for dinner — even at major restaurant chains long known as temples to beef. The first permanent menu item McDonald's has rolled out in four years consists entirely of white meat. In introducing McCrispy Strips last month, the fast-food giant acknowledged that diners 'have made one thing clear: they want more chicken.' Wendy's launched a new Cajun-spiced chicken sandwich in April, the same month Taco Bell brought back chicken nuggets, declaring it wants to become the 'go-to destination for crispy chicken.' Fast-food brands long known for beef have been pushing chicken menu items recently. The poultry push comes amid fast-food operators' broader battle for customers who've been tightening their dining-out budgets. McDonald's last week reported its worst quarterly U.S. sales decline since the depths of the pandemic in 2020, with a 3.6% drop. Wendy's saw first-quarter global sales shrink by 1.1% and reduced its outlook for the year. Chipotle, which also flagged a slowdown, said its limited-time honey chicken offering helped prop up sales, which slid 0.4% for the quarter. Consumers have been demanding more chicken even as they've rebelled against menu price hikes during the past year, sending many restaurant chains racing to roll out value deals and find other ways to keep customers coming back. Chicken featured in nearly 40% of all Grubhub restaurant orders last year and was purchased almost three times as often as beef by grocery customers, the delivery company said in December. Visits to chicken chains swelled by 4.3% in the third quarter of 2024 from the same period a year earlier, according to the location analytics firm while quick-service and fast-casual traffic dipped by 1.3% and 2.4%, respectively. These trends play to the strengths of chicken-focused brands including Dave's Hot Chicken, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers and Church's Texas Chicken, while putting pressure on burger-centric incumbents. Taco Bell said its limited-run chicken nuggets sold out nationwide in less than a week. 'The reason they're doing this, as much as anything else, is really about competitiveness,' Jonathan Maze, editor-in-chief of Restaurant Business magazine, said of fast-food chains' embrace of chicken. Consumers are seeing more stable prices for poultry than they are for many other animal proteins. Chicken costs were up just 1.3% in March from a year earlier, federal data shows, while pork rose 2.9% and beef and veal prices surged 8.6%. But Maze said the biggest factor may simply be a shift in diners' tastes — as fast-food brands themselves have acknowledged. Chicken at Wendy's 'consistently resonates with our fans, and we do not expect this momentum to slow down,' a spokesperson said. 'Our focus on chicken is more intensive than ever!'
NBC News
06-05-2025
- Business
- NBC News
McDonald's, Wendy's and other burger joints are leaning into chicken
Chicken: It's what's for dinner — even at major restaurant chains long known as temples to beef. The first permanent menu item McDonald's has rolled out in four years consists entirely of white meat. In introducing McCrispy Strips last month, the fast-food giant acknowledged that diners 'have made one thing clear: they want more chicken.' Wendy's launched a new Cajun-spiced chicken sandwich in April, the same month Taco Bell brought back chicken nuggets, declaring it wants to become the 'go-to destination for crispy chicken.' The poultry push comes amid fast-food operators' broader battle for customers who've been tightening their dining-out budgets. McDonald's last week reported its worst quarterly U.S. sales decline since the depths of the pandemic in 2020, with a 3.6% drop. Wendy's saw first-quarter global sales shrink by 1.1% and reduced its outlook for the year. Chipotle, which also flagged a slowdown, said its limited-time honey chicken offering helped prop up sales, which slid 0.4% for the quarter. Consumers have been demanding more chicken even as they've rebelled against menu price hikes during the past year, sending many restaurant chains racing to roll out value deals and find other ways to keep customers coming back. Chicken featured in nearly 40% of all Grubhub restaurant orders last year and was purchased almost three times as often as beef by grocery customers, the delivery company said in December. Visits to chicken chains swelled by 4.3% in the third quarter of 2024 from the same period a year earlier, according to the location analytics firm while quick-service and fast-casual traffic dipped by 1.3% and 2.4%, respectively. These trends play to the strengths of chicken-focused brands including Dave's Hot Chicken, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers and Church's Texas Chicken, while putting pressure on burger-centric incumbents. 'The reason they're doing this, as much as anything else, is really about competitiveness,' Jonathan Maze, editor-in-chief of Restaurant Business magazine, said of fast-food chains' embrace of chicken. Consumers are seeing more stable prices for poultry than they are for many other animal proteins. Chicken costs were up just 1.3% in March from a year earlier, federal data shows, while pork rose 2.9% and beef and veal prices surged 8.6%. But Maze said the biggest factor may simply be a shift in diners' tastes — as fast-food brands themselves have acknowledged. Chicken at Wendy's 'consistently resonates with our fans, and we do not expect this momentum to slow down,' a spokesperson said. 'Our focus on chicken is more intensive than ever!' One upside for restaurants, Maze noted, is that chicken makes for ideal finger food, which operators are encouraging by rolling out new dipping sauces. 'It offers different flavor profiles, allows you to get creative without overcomplicating your operations,' he said. More chicken options are expected to pop onto menus soon. McDonald's last month teased plans to reintroduce its chicken Snack Wrap, and Taco Bell says it's considering permanently adding a crispy chicken option after the limited-run nuggets sold out nationwide in less than a week. Tyson Foods said Monday that it saw 'double-digit growth' in its business supplying chicken to quick-service restaurants, a bright spot for the meat producer that said its beef segment is facing 'the most challenging market conditions we have ever seen.' In chicken, though, Tyson said a key measure of quarterly earnings nearly doubled last year's. Not all chicken chains are benefiting from the trend, nor are fast-food brands all leaning into chicken because they're struggling. Taco Bell saw sales jump 9% in the first quarter, boosted not just by chicken nuggets but also by its Steak and Queso Crunchwrap Sliders, parent company Yum Brands reported last week. Meanwhile, Yum's fried-chicken mainstay KFC has struggled, with its U.S. sales notching a 1% drop, outpaced by those of Wingstop and Raising Cane's. digital upgrades and subscription programs to sleek new remodels. But for now, chicken looks like one of their most powerful tools. 'Americans love chicken, frankly, and these big fast-food chains are pretty intent on giving it to them,' Maze said.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pontiac's latest chicken shop opened to a rush of customers. Here's what we know
There's a new place in town to get a fried chicken dinner. One of the newest Church's Texas Chicken restaurants in the U.S. had its first full day of operation April 3 in Pontiac, Illinois. "It's all about big portions, bold flavors, warm welcomes and saving plenty of room for seconds. Because we know that's how our guests like it — so that's the way we make it.' Here's what we know about Pontiac's latest dining option. Church's is located at 1831 W. Reynolds St., residing in the space that was previously home to KFC. Church's Texas Chicken in Pontiac is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is a dining room and a drive-thru service. Guests will find a menu with options that include fried chicken and fried chicken tenders in individual and family sizes. Those looking for a little kick can order their chicken spicy. Church's is known for its family meals in 8, 12, or 16 pieces consisting of mixed chicken, tenders and sides. There also are individual chicken dinners and box combos. Sides include mashed potatoes, French fries, coleslaw, fried okra, baked mac & cheese and Honey-Butter Biscuits. The sides come in individual and family sizes. Church's also offers chicken sandwiches and wraps. Tenders also come with a choice of sauces, including Church's signature hot sauce, honey BBQ, honey mustard, creamy jalapeno and zesty ranch. There is also a fried apple pie available for dessert. During Lent, Church's also serves fish and shrimp. At this time, ordering online is not available at the Pontiac Church's Texas Chicken. It is expected to become available soon. People took to social media on Church's opening day in Pontiac to share their excitement and experiences. Some said the wait was as long as 90 minutes. One of the store's fryers reportedly went down shortly after opening making wait times even longer. Some people commented that their orders were hot, fresh and delicious despite the wait. Others expressed disappointment and complained that the food wasn't worth the wait. Wait times appear to be back to normal. In 1952, across the street from the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, George W. Church opened the first Church's Fried Chicken To-Go. The business now has hundreds of locations across the country. Address: 1831 W. Reynolds St. Phone: 708-405-8173 Website: This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Church's Texas Chicken serves to full house on opening day
Associated Press
02-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Church's Texas Chicken® and Texas Chicken™ Expand Global Footprint into Europe and Beyond with 900 Units Planned in the Near Future
ATLANTA, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Church's Texas Chicken ® and Texas Chicken ™, one of the largest quick-service chicken restaurant brands in the world, continues its international expansion into Europe while strengthening its presence in key global markets. The company has recently signed multiple development agreements, including one in Germany with an outstanding franchisee who has exceptional foodservice experience and market presence. With additional deals in other parts of Europe, this marks a significant milestone in the company's growth strategy. Building on this momentum, the company is setting its sights on the UK, France, Italy, and Spain. 'We are experiencing tremendous growth both domestically and internationally, with Europe playing a key role in our expansion strategy,' said Roland Gonzalez, CEO of Church's Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken. 'The European QSR market is evolving rapidly, driven by a growing demand for convenience and quick-service restaurant options. We see huge potential to bring the Texas Chicken experience to new guests across the continent, and this is just the beginning.' Over the past year, Church's Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken opened 60 new locations in 14 markets worldwide, strengthening the company's global reach. The latest new development agreements will extend Texas Chicken's footprint into five new countries, including Germany, Hungary, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Morocco, with more than 900 new restaurants planned over the coming years. With many additional deals in the pipeline, the company is on track to grow its international presence by more than 50 percent in the next four years and increase system sales to $2 billion by 2028. 'We have been strategic in our approach around entering new international markets, thoroughly assessing both the needs and benefits that Texas Chicken can provide to potential franchisees and guests,' said Eric Hanson, Vice President of International Development. 'Through our research, we discovered an underserved segment of the marketplace that craves affordable, high-quality chicken. We are proud to fill that gap, offering exceptional taste and value in every meal while continuing to elevate our one-of-a-kind experience to more guests around the world.' For more information, visit and You can also follow Church's Texas Chicken ® on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok. More details on franchising opportunities are available at or About Church's Texas Chicken® / Texas Chicken™ Founded in San Antonio, TX in 1952 by George W. Church Sr., Church's Texas Chicken ®, along with its sister brand Texas Chicken ™ outside of the U.S., is one of the largest quick-service chicken restaurant chains in the world. The brands specialize in Original and Spicy Chicken freshly prepared throughout the day in small batches that are hand-battered and double-breaded, tenders, sandwiches, freshly baked Honey-Butter Biscuits ™, and classic, home-style sides all for a great value. Church's Texas Chicken ® and Texas Chicken ™ have more than 1,400 locations in 22 countries and global markets and system-wide sales of more than $1.5 billion. Owned by High Bluff Capital Partners and FS Investments since 2021 , Church's ® celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2022. Kelly Kaufman
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Restaurant franchise owner reportedly bringing Church's Chicken to Falls
NIAGARA FALLS — A local restauranteur under investigation for wage theft plans on bringing another fast food chain downtown. Franchisee Muhammed Shoaib is opening a Church's Texas Chicken location on the ground floor of the Hyatt Place Hotel at 310 Rainbow Blvd., according to Buffalo Business First. It would replace the Cantina Falls Mexican Restaurant which opened in 2020. He reportedly signed a 10-year lease for the 3,100 square-foot space with Hamister Hotels, which owns the Hyatt Place location. The Church's location is expected to be open for the summer tourist season following a $500,000 to renovation. It will have an indoor capacity of 50 to 80 people, and have 20 people staffing it. Founded in San Antonio and based in Atlanta, the chain mainly serves fried chicken offerings. The Niagara Falls location would be the chain's first in New York state, with 767 locations in operation nationwide. Shoaib did not return requests for comment. Other potential future sites could be on Buffalo's Delaware Avenue and in Wheatfield. He already operates Church's locations in Niagara Falls, Ont., and St. Catherines among his restaurants on both sides of the border, which include Moe's Southwest Grill, Papa Johns, A&W, and Crumbl Cookies. His latest developments in Niagara Falls have drawn scrutiny, as he received $433,750 in Niagara County Industrial Development Agency tax incentives for A&W and Moe's locations on Rainbow Boulevard. That drew criticism from state lawmakers claiming he was exploiting a loophole in state law to get benefits in areas deemed 'highly distressed' for tourism-destination projects.' This Church's Texas Chicken location, like the two previously mentioned locations, is in Census Tract 211 which has 37.4% of its population living below the poverty line. Investigative Post also reported he had received $50,000 in Niagara Falls city grants in 2023 from the city's share of the American Rescue Plan for the two locations. In January, the State Department of Labor started investigating claims from former Shoaib employees that they were not properly paid overtime or had their tips withheld. That investigation came as the NCIDA in February granted him another $246,603 in incentives to turn the old Haunted House of Wax at 222 Rainbow Blvd. into a fast food franchise hub. The $2.55 million project is planned to finish by June, would hire 40 new positions and feature Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's Carvel Ice Cream, Subway, and a Mediterranean food eatery. IDA officials had told the Gazette and Investigative Post they would wait and see what comes of the investigation before determining a course of action.
