In the world of fast food, there is nothing like the comeback of a discontinued-but-not-forgotten item to get people in a frenzy.
It happened with Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza, and the lines caused by McDonald’s (MCD) – Get McDonald’s Corporation Report elusive Szechuan Sauce have by now entered fast-food canon.
At a time when fast-food chains are paying particular attention to their morning offerings, any new breakfast menu item can bring with it customers who might not otherwise have crossed the doors of the store.
According to data from NPD Group, dine-in breakfast sales at fast-food and fast casual companies grew by 51% between the fall period in 2020 and 2021.
A Gone-But-Not-Forgotten Breakfast Sandwich Returns
This seems to be on the mind of Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, which announced that it would be bringing back the gone-but-not-forgotten Spicy Chicken Biscuit — the breakfast item was discontinued in 2016 and would regularly resurface in fans’ bring-it-back-now requests on social media.
On April 25, the sandwich will once again be available on menus at 1,304 Chick-fil-A stores across the country between the hours of 6:30 to 10:30 a.m.
While the rules of what makes something a breakfast item can be blurry (just adding eggs makes it breakfast, amirite?) and vary across cultures, the biscuit bun is not available on Chick-fil-A’s regular day menu.
The chain already had a regular Chicken Biscuit breakfast sandwich.
“You all have been asking for it!” one Chick-fil-A restaurant in South Carolina wrote in a post announcing the sandwich Facebook Meta.
Indeed, some Twitter (TWTR) – Get Twitter, Inc. Report users were writing at the chain to “bring back the the spicy chicken biscuit” up to a day before Chick-fil-A made the announcement.
As part of the same spring menu, Chick-fil-A is also launching a new drink known as Cloudberry Sunjoy.
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The limited-time beverage is a mix of the chain’s Lemonade and Sweetened Ice Tea with hints of cloudberry and cherry blossom thrown into the mix.
“We imagine our new Cloudberry Sunjoy beverage will have most people asking, ‘What is a cloudberry?,'” Leslie Neslage, director of menu and packaging at Chick-fil-A, said in a statement.
“Grown in colder climates of the U.S. and Canada, the cloudberry has a unique flavor that is like a crossover between a raspberry and red currant.”
Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal Of The Day (Especially If You’re A Fast-Food Chain)
It is only recently that fast-food chains started giving breakfast menus any serious consideration.
McDonald’s, which launched the entire concept after a franchise owner started experimenting with what would become the Egg McMuffin, has dominated the space for decades.
The chain previously reported deriving approximately 25% of its sales from breakfast items.
But over the last few years, McDonald’s has started facing increasing competition as more chains tried to expand and improve their breakfast menus.
In 2020, Wendy’s (WEN) – Get Wendy’s Company Report rolled out an extensive breakfast menu that has since taken off — the chain now earns 8.5% of its sales from its morning business.
For years, many chains have had lackluster menus of a few unchanging breakfast items that were quickly pushed out by the “main players” come 10:30 or 11 a.m.
But now, new items are coming from everyone from Yum! Brands (YUM) – Get Yum! Brands, Inc. Report-owned Burger King to Dunkin’ (DNKN) – Get Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. Report in what feels like every week.
“Growing health concerns upholds breakfast as an important meal of the day,” a Million Insights report recently stated.
“This is leading to the huge adoption of breakfast by consumers in various countries like the U.S. and the U.K. In these regions, around 40% of restaurants offer breakfast menus, which led to the potential growth opportunity for the market.”
