Food & Beverage

Sonic, Church's let loose a pair of chicken LTOs

Sonic's popcorn chicken Po' Boy is available starting May 31. (Photo provided)

May 28, 2021

As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, two QSRs are hoping to tempt business with a pair of chicken LTOs, each with its own distinct personality, including a boozy version of the bird at Church's and a Big Easy take on the chicken sandwich at Sonic.

Beginning with the fast food drive-in brand, the order of the day is a Popcorn Chicken Po' Boy that's heavy on the Cajun flavors of Louisiana and includes crispy white meat popcorn chicken with lettuce, tomatoes, onions ,mayo and blackened mayo on a hoagie roll for $2.99, a news release said.

"Cajun delicacies are known for delicious blends of seasonings that culminate in excitement with every bite," Scott Uehlein, Sonic vice president of product innovation and development, said in the release. "With a smoky, Southern-style mayo, the Popcorn Chicken Po' Boy spins a Sonic staple that guests know and love, with subtle notes of thyme, oregano, red pepper and paprika, which complement the juicy tenderness in the chicken and bring out a harmony of flavors and a tasty, delicate spice level."

The sandwich is available May 31 through June 27 at the brand's more than 3,500 restaurants in 46 states.

Church's Bourbon Black Pepper Smokehouse chicken. (Photo provided)

But for chicken appetites that hail from a little further north, say within the bourbon-originated borders of Kentucky, Church's Chicken has created a bourbon black pepper smokehouse chicken for the brand's summertime "Smokehouse Season," a news release said.

The annual Smokehouse Season event is in its fifth year at Church's and feature traditional comfort foods with a smoky flavor. A single bourbon black pepper smokehouse chicken combo meal includes a half of a chicken, mashed potatoes and a Honey-Butter Biscuit for $5, while a family meal deal can be had for $20, which includes two half-chickens, six Texas Tenders, a large order of mashed potatoes and gravy, large order of coleslaw and four Honey-Butter Biscuits.

In fact, the brand has even launched a guided audio tasting that plays off the idea of a premium bourbon tasting and guides guests through every bite of their Bourbon Black Pepper Smokehouse meal. An accompanying tasting card included in Smokehouse Chicken meals, in select markets, will let savorers note all the flavors they experience, sweet to smoky, to record everything from size to juiciness level.

"Our first Bourbon Black Pepper Smokehouse program delivered record-breaking sales and traffic in 2019, and we've continued to hear from guests who have been clamoring for it ever since," Church's CMO Brian Gies said in the release. "The unique flavor profile of the Bourbon Black Pepper sauce took years to perfect, including exploration of foods and flavors throughout our home state of Texas. We love that our guests keep coming back for the big, bold Texas-inspired flavors of our signature glaze that offers the perfect combination of savory and smoky notes."

The brand is also serving Texas Sheet Cake this summer that features chocolate cake topped with sweet chocolate frosting. The offerings are available through Aug. 29 at the chain which, along with its sister brand, Texas Chicken, has more than 1,500 locations globally.