McDonald's Franchisees Lobby for Premium Chicken Sandwich to Compete with Chick-fil-A

As Chick-fil-A continues to grow and dominate the competition in customer satisfaction, other brands are taking notice.

CNBC reports that the independently-formed group of McDonald’s franchisees called the National Owners Association (NOA) sent an email to fellow operators today saying that “A Chicken Sandwich at McDonald’s should be our top priority.”

While McDonald’s does offer McNuggets and the McChicken sandwich, the NOA wrote that the chain does not compete in the grilled or crispy premium chicken sandwich category. “A favorite, that our customers want, is a chicken sandwich. Unfortunately, they have to go to Chick Fil A for it,” wrote the NOA.

In the email, the franchisee group suggests that tweaks to McDonald’s Southern Style Chicken sandwich could do the trick, such as serving it in a foil bag and buttering the bun.

“JFK called for a man on the moon, our call should be a category leading chicken sandwich,” wrote the group.

Emily Clouse is a staff writer for 1851 Franchise. Her work has been featured with publications such as The Onion, Reductress, and Chicago Magazine. She graduated from The Ohio State University before running away to join the Peace Corps. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and walking to Jewel-Osco.