Fast Food Chains Thrive On Imitation

IN the fast-food business, imitation isn't just a form of flattery -- it's a proven way to increase sales.

The Taco Bell value menu, for instance, gave rise to the Wendy's Super Value Menu, the McDonald's Dollar Menu and the Burger King Value Menu. The Angus beef burger from Back Yard Burgers begat similar burgers at McDonald's, Burger King and Hardee's.

In the latest appropriation of a popular product, McDonald's has just introduced a Southern Style Chicken Sandwich -- one that looked suspiciously like the signature sandwich of the Chick-fil-A chain.

"We knew this was coming," said Don Perry, a Chick-fil-A spokesman.

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Comments

[Enid]

i had a McDonald new chicken sandwich via there free promotion coupon in my Amazon mail order.

No fast food business need worry.

and if this compares to Chick-fil ( never tasted ) sandwich then Chick--fil is going out of business too.

My first time back in a mac store in 5 years. May never return again.

[BUBBY]

There are no Chick-fil-A restaurants in Wisconsin so I have never sampled their wares. I will say that eating a chicken sandwich at McDonald's is an exercise is self poisoning. These breasts are loaded with antibiotics, pesticides, quite possibly PCBs and sodium nitrites and are injected with papain and monosodium glutamate to insure tenderness and flavor. Sound nummy huh?

[JScott]

Yup it's an item on the corporate agenda:

How many ways can we get people to consume more meat, dairy and white bread, and damn the health consequences, we just wanna make the money, oh and by the way don't even think about asking where it all comes from or how it's made. Oh yeah and we can just borrow ideas, not thinking up something original like food that's good for you and tastes good.

[javaman]

Imitation food that is.

[clocknova]

Chick-fil-a is the only fast food restaurant I still visit from time to time. Of all the grease peddlers, their's is the only food that hasn't gotten progressively worse as I've grown older. In fact, their food tastes exactly the same to me now as it did when I was a child. Their food just seems to have a level of quality that the others lack. I can't say that about McDonald's.

And, despite the fact that I know the owner is a hard core Christian, I respect their decision to remain closed on Sunday, despite the obvious business pressure to be open. And they never seem to make religion an issue at any of their stores, so it doesn't bother me.