Burger King is fixing a huge weakness in its menu after customers called it 'disgusting' (QSR)

pulse

March 2, 2017 3:33 PM

The new crispy chicken sandwich will be available in all Burger King restaurants starting Thursday.

Burger King is launching a new crispy chicken sandwich.

Burger King is axing its Tendercrisp chicken sandwich and replacing it with a newly revamped recipe.

The fast-food chain began experimenting with new recipes after getting feedback from customers that the Tendercrisp sandwich was subpar, with some calling it "disgusting" and "gross" on social media.

"The Whopper is America's favorite burger, but on the chicken sandwich side we haven’t been as successful ... and quite frankly it's one of the fastest-growing categories," Alex Macedo, the president of Burger King North America, told Business Insider.

That was particularly frustrating for Burger King when its biggest burger competitor was seeing success with its own fried-chicken sandwich.

Macedo declined to name the competitor, but it's highly likely he's referring to McDonald's and its buttermilk chicken sandwich.

"We want to take the crown away from them," he said, without referring to McDonald's by name.

The company revamped its marinade and cooking process to make the chicken patty crispier on the outside and juicier on the inside than the old sandwich, Macedo said.

The sandwich also features lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on a potato bun.

To promote the new menu item, Burger King is airing TV ads featuring its former "haters" — or customers who made negative comments about the chain's chicken sandwiches on social media.

"They went crazy about the new sandwich," Macedo said.

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