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Food

How Amy Alarcon gave Popeyes the edge in the chicken sandwich wars

As head of culinary for the chain, Alarcon and her team created a record-breaking chicken sandwich. Now there’s a new one on the menu—plus a lot of other R&D excitement. By Patricia Cobe on Nov. 16, 2022

After Popeyes off-the-charts success with its fried chicken sandwich, Amy Alarcon and her culinary team spent four years perfecting the cooking technique and flavor profile of the just-launched Blackened Chicken Sandwich. In between, she developed a new and improved chicken nugget and a number of seasonal LTOs.

Amy Alarcon
Amy Alarcon

Throughout the R&D process, Alarcon taps into New Orleans as her inspiration point. Listen as she shares how her Southern roots have impacted her culinary journey, how Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen does Thanksgiving and what’s in store for 2023.

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Menu Feed 
Pat plans and executes the menu sections of Restaurant Business and FoodService Director and hosts the weekly Menu Feed podcast. She provides in-depth coverage of chefs, trends and menu innovation.
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