Popeyes is set to begin selling chicken nuggets in its North American stores and in Puerto Rico. The fried chicken fast food franchise made the announcement earlier this month and revealed the nuggets will be bite-size versions of its popular chicken sandwich. Yes, the same chicken sandwich that caused hysteria in the fall of 2019.
“Just like our game changing chicken sandwich, our new chicken nuggets are unlike anything you may have experienced before,” Popeyes Americas president Sami Siddiqui said in a press release. “We aim to show the world once again the magic of Popeyes chicken with our new nuggets. We believe that these piece(s) of crunchy, juicy, delicious chicken will have guests question how they ever enjoyed chicken nuggets before this.”
In order to avoid the long lines, arguments and chaos, a rep for Popeyes told TMZ “across the system, franchisees have worked to increase staffing to better meet the demand for Popeyes new chicken nuggets.”
The outlet is reporting Popeyes’ corporate executives are stopping by stores all over the U.S. to “identify ways first-hand the brand can quickly meet the excitement and interest from our guests of our new product.” The President of Popeyes Operations Amin Dhanani also mentioned that the company believes employees “will be ready for the high demand for nuggets.”
Apparently, Popeyes was “caught off guard by the 2019 sandwich craze,” TMZ reports, but they have a better idea now how consumers may react to the new menu item. Dhanani said stores should have enough nuggets to meet the demand because they are currently stocking up freezers.
Another Popeyes source told the outlet if incidents occur — like the stabbing that took place in Maryland in 2019 — store managers will be able to increase their security in order to maintain a safe dining experience. Popeyes plans to start serving the nuggets Tuesday, July 27.