QSRs marked summer 2024 with deep discounting, value menus and promotions to help drive traffic and sales. But in summer 2025, chains are focused on one particular protein to get guests in the door: chicken.
For McDonald’s, the launch of McCrispy Chicken Strips and the eventual return of the Snack Wrap could help improve guest counts and market share performance. During the first quarter, sales and traffic were down, CEO Chris Kempczinski said during a May earnings call, reflecting the chain’s struggle to grow comparable sales as consumer spending dipped.
Not only does McDonald’s hope to bring back consumers with new chicken items, it is focusing on outperforming competitors on marketing and value.
But the Golden Arches isn’t the only brand looking to chicken to improve guest counts. Check out how some of the top QSR chains are competing on chicken items this summer.
Taco Bell
Release date: June 17
The Mexican QSR expanded its crispy chicken menu just a few months after it brought back Crispy Chicken Nuggets, according to a press release. The limited-time menu includes various items like tacos and burritos, alongside new sauce flavors: Spicy Ranchero and Avocado Ranch. Each of the items uses a Crispy Chicken Strip, which is all-white meat chicken, marinated in jalapeno buttermilk flavor, and breaded with crispy tortilla chips and breadcrumbs.
The Crispy Chicken menu is available for an unspecified timeframe and includes:
- Crispy Chicken Taco for $2.79
- Crispy Chicken Burrito for $5.49
- Crispy Chicken Strips for $3.99 for two.
Taco Bell said it will launch a permanent Crispy Chicken menu next year.
Culver’s
Release date: June 16
Culver’s remade its permanent chicken sandwich menu with upgraded ingredients, including an improved chicken filet, crunchier pickle slices and a new brioche bun. The upgrades apply to its Crispy Chicken, Spicy Crispy Chicken and Grilled Chicken sandwiches. Tests revealed that customers liked the improvements to flavor and juiciness.
The chicken sandwiches are available at over 1,000 restaurants nationwide.
McDonald’s
Release date: July 10
The QSR giant added McCrispy Strips to its permanent menu on May 5 — the first time it added an item to its core menu since 2021 — as an initial stage before launching wraps.
While McDonald’s Snack Wrap has yet to launch, the chain is already hyping up the return of the item, which was removed from menus in 2016.
The Snack Wraps will have a chicken strip inside a tortilla, with shredded lettuce and cheese. They will be available in two flavors: Spicy and Ranch, according to USA Today. They will be available a la carte or in a meal.
McDonald’s is also working to create a systemic advantage in menu innovation. Earlier this year, the chain announced it was setting up dedicated teams for menu development, with discrete focuses on beverages and desserts, chicken and beef.
Popeyes
Release date: June 2
The chicken chain added Popeyes Chicken Wraps to its menu in late spring, offering three variations for $3.99 each, according to a press release. A hand-breaded and battered chicken tender is wrapped in a tortilla with crispy lettuce, shredded cheese, crunchy pickles and topped with a choice of sauce (Classic, Spicy or Honey Mustard) .
The wraps are available nationwide at participating locations while supplies last.
