Skift Take
We're still waiting for the perfect fried chicken breakfast item from a chain restaurant.
— Jason Clampet
If there’s a fried chicken trend, KFC likes to jump on it — at least for a limited time. Whether it’s a watered down “Nashville” “hot” chicken offering or a Georgia Gold concoction, these items are more like covers of popular songs by less-skilled musicians than faithful renditions or more thoughtful remixes. KFC’s latest limited time only release? The classic chicken and waffles. Read on to learn about this and more new menu items.
Every few weeks Skift Table will wrap up the latest seasonal and new items on chain restaurant menus in the United States. We don’t call out everything (sorry limited-time only turkey and stuffing sandwich), but we will call out items that are notable for what they mean to a chain, the season, or consumer habits.
KFC
Chicken and Waffles
When: Through December 31, 2018.
Where: All locations
Health: 140 calories per chicken tender
Skift Table Take: For some people, chicken and waffles is the ultimate breakfast/brunch food. For others its an excuse to serve less fried chicken in favor of sub-par breakfast food. But breakfast food is big business — just look at McDonald’s last earnings report. KFC, despite having two great things for breakfast dining — chicken and biscuits — falls short in this space. How short? On last month’s earnings calls, McDonald’s execs said “breakfast” 15 times. KFC execs didn’t say the word at all. While we’d rather see them make a better biscuit (it’s way too dry, Colonel & Co.), they’re giving us waffles for now. We’d much prefer an easy to eat chicken and biscuit grab and go breakfast (note: get a decent hot sauce and we will be there).
Read more from KFC.
McDonald’s
(Healthier?) Happy Meals
When: Through December 31, 2018.
Where: All locations
Health: 360 calories with water, fries, and hamburger
Skift Table Take: Happy Meals have long been the stuff of either quick drive thrus or sit down meals that a weary parent or childcare provider can stretch out into way more time than a parent or a childcare provider should have to provide. The health benefits? Secondary. But as McD’s seeks to carve a space as a lightly compliant healthy meal provider, it’s looked to the Happy Meal. Last year it killed the cheeseburger in Happy Meals. This year it is offering two things: bottled water and GoGurt without artificial additives. To the first part, we say that we can get Dasani for free by turning on our taps. For the latter? We have Chobani at home, but we drove your direction anyway. Try harder.
Read more from McDonald’s.
Taco Bell
Triplelupa
When: Through December 31, 2018.
Where: Limited locations in Southern California
Health: 870 calories (based on 1.5 servings of double Chalupa)
Skift Table Take: We were listening to music when writing this — honestly, who doesn’t? — and our singer/imaginary friend Diane Birch sang “like a mask of self hate” and, honestly, that seems like the perfect way to describe this Taco Bell meal. This Chalupa X three is a neon sign for for people who’ve made many poor life choices who are now compounding those with 3 X the Chalupa anyone should ever embrace in one sitting. We’re not sure why Taco Bell is chasing this item now except for either limited regional novelty or, we hope not, a full embrace of fourth (or fifth?) meal. They have so many other dishes to chase, we think that this triple-down on a bad idea is not nearly as good as other ideas the chain has had to encourage us to eat beyond our means.
Read more from Chewboom.
