KFC doubles down on hot chicken

kfc nashville hot basket

After feeling some heat from customers, KFC has brought back its Nashville Hot Chicken to U.S. units.

Nashville Hot Chicken, which KFC served from January to April, was then deemed one of the chain’s biggest product innovations in recent memory. It first drummed up interest for the spicy LTO by offering customers tastes from a mobile food truck that made stops around the country.

As part of this month’s reintroduction, the chain is offering the product in a sandwich in addition to tenders and off the bone, and some units will serve Nashville Hot Wings as well as a grilled iteration, KFC said. It noted that customers had clamored for the item's return, particularly on social media. 

To draw interest, the chain also named Mad Men actor Vincent Kartheiser the Nashville Hot Colonel, the latest Colonel Sanders iteration to be featured in the brand’s advertising. This newly crowned Colonel follows in the footsteps of the product-specific Extra Crispy Colonel introduced by KFC earlier this year. 

Despite the somewhat mixed performance reported by its parent company, KFC performed rather well during its most recent quarter, particularly in the U.S., where its comps rose 6%.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Investors regain their taste for Sweetgreen

The Bottom Line: The salad chain’s stock rose 34% on Friday after sales and profitability were better than expected. The company’s shares are above its IPO price for the first time in two years.

Financing

Here's a business tool to keep restaurant executives employed after a tough Q1

Reality Check: The first three months of 2024 weren’t easy on restaurant chains, but spin-doctoring proved to be. Indeed, there must have been a run on shovels.

Food

The Taiwanese wheel cake may just become the next cronut

Behind the Menu: Money Cake opens in New York, tempting pastry fans with the waffle-cream puff hybrid.

Trending

More from our partners