KFC is all set to debut a new sandwich – The Zinger – and has spent nearly $80 million to ideate and create the sandwich. The Zinger is said to be the first fried chicken sandwich made by hand, every day, in KFC's kitchen.
The sandwich was first introduced in Trinidad and Tobago and has been a hit with KFC patrons ever since. The chicken in the sandwich is marinated in a cayenne pepper sauce, breaded in different herbs and spices, and fried.
Sounds pretty simple right? So you must be wondering what KFC spent $80 million on. "We have been actually working on this for two years, we spent $80 million dollars upgrading our back house equipment and we spent the last six months re-training all of our staff on how to make a fried chicken sandwich fast, because ultimately at lunch, we have to win on speed," Kevin Hochman, president and chief concept officer for KFC US told FOX Business.
Hochman also explained that the chicken used in the sandwich is 100 percent "real" without any antibiotics and will also be free of hormones, food dyes, as well as steroids.
When Business Insider asked Hochman how the Zinger was different from what McDonald's and Burger King have on their menus, he said that the key was frying the chicken in-store, something neither of its competitors do.
"The one thing they all have in common is they're all made in a central factory, they're frozen, and then they're refried at stores," Hochman noted.
"You can come to KFC and get a hand-breaded Zinger and a $5 fill up -- that is just unbelievable value and a vastly superior sandwich," he added. "Compared to a factory breaded sandwich, it will always be crunchier, more flavorful, more juicy."
KFC will also reveal a colonel that will represent the Zinger and plans to come up with fun and innovative marketing strategies to make sure the sandwich is a success.
The brand new Zinger sandwich goes on sale across the United States on April 24.
Meanwhile, KFC seems to be going all out to rival other brands such as Wendy's, McDonald's and Burger King, to name a few. In early February, the brand launched Chizza, which technically is a pizza on a fried chicken base. The Chizza was touted as "all chicken and no crust" and KFC even released a video on how it was made. Take a look.
