Yahoo Finance reported that KFC's U.S. director Brittany Wilson said removing those items is aimed toward simplifying the menu toward a goal to increase efficiency, make it easier to place an order and focus on innovation.
KFC is getting rid of 5 menu items — but one fan favorite is finally coming back. KFC is getting rid of popcorn chicken, Kentucky fried chicken wings, and chocolate chip cookies. The pare-down is part of an effort to streamline customer experience, a spokesperson told USA Today.
KFC announced that its Kentucky Fried Chicken Wings were being phased out in early 2023 along with other menu items.
The great chicken wing shortage of 2022
Like many things in 2022, the chicken wing industry was still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Supply chains were still under a lot of stress due to various factors, and so it became hard to get enough chicken wings shipped out to meet demand.
What KFC Is Taking Off Its Menu. While the classic 11 herbs and spices recipe and iconic fried chicken buckets are safe, a few fan-favorite items will be lost in the simplification. Those discontinued items include KFC's wings, popcorn chicken, Nashville hot sauce, strawberry lemonade, and chocolate chip cookies.
The early 1990s saw a number of successful major product launches, including spicy "Hot Wings" (launched in 1990), popcorn chicken (1992) and, internationally, the "Zinger", a spicy chicken fillet sandwich (1993). By 1994 KFC had 5,149 outlets in the US and 9,407 overall, with over 100,000 employees.
Background of crisis
The famous fried chicken restaurant chain ran out of chicken due to supplier issues. This resulted in the company shutting down more than half of the stores in the UK.
The country's labour shortages and petrol price increases which subsequently triggered wheat shortages has forced chicken suppliers to pass on price and market fluctuations.
Wholesale wing prices are down 19% from their high last May, according to USDA data cited by the National Chicken Council (NCC) in its 2022 Wing Report. But retail wing prices are up about 30 cents per pound compared with last year. “There will be no wing shortage,” Tom Super, NCC spokesman, said in a statement.
The higher cost is owed to Americans' heightened appetite for chicken wings during the pandemic, according to Super. That demand is putting pressure on a supply chain already dogged by labor shortages, shipping delays and bad weather — as is the story with so many other sectors right now.
Perfectly coated with a delicious bold, spicy batter, our Hot Wings are crunchy on the outside and juicy and steamy on the inside. Ready to be devoured, this 5-piece party can be enjoyed as McMenu or as a side.
A KFC spokesperson has since said: 'We know it doesn't look great, but this is actually a natural colouration caused by the bone, rather than being undercooked. 'This can sometimes happen when dealing with fresh chicken.
The KFC-themed Wings of Feasting glider can be obtained during the Adventurers' Guild on Twitch event. Players will need to buy or gift subs during the event and claim their code within the designated timeframe.
But sellers are facing an odd wing problem lately: The chickens they come from are getting bigger and bigger. Why is that a problem? Bigger chickens equate to bigger wings—and more meat per wing provided by restaurants and wholesale suppliers.
Why Is KFC Making These Changes? “It's really to deliver our most popular products perfectly each time and to actually make room for new products,” said KFC U.S. Director Brittany Wilson. KFC hopes to improve accuracy and efficiency while cutting down on service time for customers.
Until recently, the wing was practically considered a piece of waste material since it didn't have much meat, and was typically boiled down and used in stock. Along with the back and the neck, the wing was literally the cheapest part of the chicken. That all changed in 1964.
Mighty Wings were a McDonald's menu item from 1990 through 2004, and then again in 2013 before ending in early 2014. Mighty Wings are juicy, bone-in chicken wings in a bold, spicy breading. Available in three, five and 10-piece with your choice of tasty dipping sauces, just like Chicken McNuggets.
Chicken wings are popular because they contain the perfect ratio of meat to skin. Whether you prefer smoked or grilled chicken wings, you'll taste the flavor infused in the juicy meat and crusted on the skin.
At least 97% of our chicken-on-the-bone, fillets and strips are regularly delivered fresh (not frozen) into our restaurants from reputable Aussie chicken suppliers like Inghams, Steggles and Golden Farms.
At the slaughterhouse, some birds ('meat' chickens) will be placed in Co2-filled chambers and killed or gassed unconscious, before having their throats cut. At many other slaughterhouses, birds may be shackled into ankle cuffs on a conveyor belt while fully conscious.
COVID increased demand relative to supply and also significantly increased operating costs. There is now a push from major retailers to transition from caged eggs to cage-free eggs which is having a significant impact on caged eggs - which traditionally make up the bulk of egg supply in Australia.
According to former KFC executive Warren Liu, KFC also had a natural advantage because many Chinese consumers prefer chicken over other meats like beef. For many, KFC was the first Western-style food they had access to. As a result, KFC's reputation in China was quite different than in the U.S.
KFC could not buy Kenyan potatoes because they do not meet the firm's quality standards. So it could not serve its signature dish – potato chips and chicken. But Kenyans saw this as a failure to support local farmers.