Cousins Subs — the Menomonee Falls, Wisc.-based, 96-unit sandwich brand — is introducing crispy chicken for the first time starting Aug. 19.

While the chicken sandwich wars reached a fever pitch in 2021, chicken has continued to trend as a top protein, prompting late entrants to the platform.

Cousins Subs is introducing two new sandwiches and three new side sauces that feature the brand’s newly launched crispy chicken. The Crispy Chicken Sub is topped with chicken tenders, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and a pickle. The Buffalo Ranch Crispy Chicken Sub is made with the same tenders, plus ranch dressing, Buffalo sauce, lettuce, onion, and tomato. The crispy chicken is available as a three- or five-piece chicken tender meal as well. Side sauces include barbecue, Buffalo, and Ranch options.

“As we’ve seen in many concepts, chicken sandwiches are pretty simple and that, I think, is the beauty of them,” Christine Specht, CEO of Cousins Subs, told Nation’s Restaurant News. “[This chicken sandwich is] very straightforward, but something like this doesn’t just happen overnight. … We tried well over 20 chicken products to find one that fits with our promise to deliver on quality.”

Specht said that besides the obvious popularity of the chicken sandwich category, she’s hoping that the crispy chicken will appeal to younger customers and be able to secure the veto vote with kids that really want chicken tenders for dinner.

“If you have a family that’s going out to dinner and one of them doesn’t eat subs, then this is a great side option for them,” Specht said. “Kids could get their tenders with fries or a cookie, and be satisfied, and maybe mom and dad might get one of our sub sandwiches. I think the chicken sandwich will really help us in speaking to a wider audience of people.”

Right now, the crispy chicken sandwich is being offered as an LTO at Cousins Subs, but if the item resonates with guests, the sandwiches could make their way onto the permanent menu.

“We really wanted to keep this as simple as possible, knowing that in the future, the sky’s the limit in terms of how we might develop products over the years,” Specht said.

SOURCE: NRN News