Food & Beverage

'I take thee chicken to be my wedded ...'

Photo: iStock

July 6, 2020

The fireworks have fizzled. The grill has gone cold. But one of the biggest hits of summer eating emerges today to perk up restaurateurs' pandemic-weary souls with the observance of National Fried Chicken Day.

The fried chicken sandwich wars that have driven so many QSR sales over the last year-plus are just one sign of the popularity of this dish on quick-service menus. But, the publication, National Today offers another sign: In a recent poll of 1,000 Americans, these experts on the nation's so-called "Hallmark holidays," found that 16% of Americans said they would actually wed fried chicken if they could. Another 50% simply stopped at saying, "I love it."

Of special note perhaps to QSR operators is the fact that nearly half of those polled eat part or all of a fried bird weekly, while most said they usually opt to forego sauces with their crispy chicken. The brand said out of nine sauce options, barbecue was the most popular, gathering 15% of the vote. Nonetheless, still more popular than that at 16% of the vote was just eating fried chicken unadorned in all its crispy goodness, according to the poll.