Kentucky Fried Chicken (better known as KFC) is the restaurant chain that popularized fried chicken in the American fast-food industry, offering a tasty alternative to the hamburger that once completely dominated the market. However, the establishment’s popularity has declined in recent years as it was dethroned by Popeyes as the second-largest chicken fast-food chain in the US. Since then, KFC has been desperately searching for a way to revitalize the once beloved brand, and this week, the chain’s plans to regain relevance became clear with the announcement of its newest menu item: “Chizza.”
The clever mash-up of the words “chicken” and “pizza” will feature two 100% white meat Extra Crispy™ fried chicken filets topped with zesty marinara sauce, melty mozzarella cheese, and crispy pepperoni. KFC is all-in on the new product, going as far as to change the globally recognized Colonel Sanders logo across the brand’s social media profiles to depict the restaurant as if it is a pizzeria – or should I say – a chizzeria.
This will not be the first appearance of the menu item, which was already a hit in countries like the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Germany, Spain, and Mexico. The chizza was first released in the Philippines and will be available in the United States’ 4,000+ locations as soon as February 26th for a limited time.
“Fried chicken and pizza collaborated to create something even better – the Chizza,” said Nick Chavez, the CMO of KFC in the US. “The fan-favorite mashup is finally available in the U.S. after making its way around the world – try it while you can!”
KFC provided some fast-food enthusiasts with the opportunity to try their chizza at a pop-up “Chizzeria” in New York City that gave out free samples on February 23rd and 24th. The brand also partnered with GrannysOffHerRocker to play an Italian Nonna in commercials and on social media to promote the new offering.
While KFC’s “chizza” isn’t likely to excite the average Italian-American in the United States, it will be interesting to see how the American public responds to this more out-of-the-box product idea.
Resources:
- IT’S NOT PIZZA, IT’S CHIZZA – KFC® BRINGS THE GLOBAL BESTSELLER TO U.S. MENUS FOR THE FIRST TIME FEBRUARY 26 [KFC Newsroom]
