By Kim Khan
Investing.com - Dow component McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) is going on the offensive again in the fast-food sector’s game of chicken, adding new items to its breakfast menu.
The company said Tuesday it is adding two new chicken sandwiches to its national breakfast menu.
Shares rose 1.1% in morning trading.
Chicken sandwiches have been the talk of fast food since the debut of the Popeyes Spicy Chicken Sandwich, which resulted in a run on restaurants for the item, with lines rivaling those of gas stations during the 1970s oil embargo.
Bill Oakley, former showrunner of The Simpsons and now a pivotal voice on fast food on Instagram, named the Popeyes Spicy Chicken Sandwich his item of the year for 2019 (Instagram.com/thatbilloakley).
The resultant battle between Popeyes and perennial favorite Chik-Fil-A has resulted in shortage of little chickens, which have quarter-pound breasts that fit on a bun, Bloomberg reported today.
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) has been playing catch-up, but will now roll out its Chicken McGriddles and McChicken Biscuit sandwiches nationwide. The items were previously just available in certain U.S. locations.
Shares of Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR), which owns Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, fell 0.5%.