When Chick-fil-A Inc. announced it was going to drop the Spicy Chicken Biscuit from its menu, social media users across the country went into a frenzy.
So, why would the Atlanta-based restaurant chain kill off such a widely popular item? Low sales.
David Farmer, vice president of menu strategy and development, said the Spicy Chicken Biscuit represented one half of one percent of breakfast sales.
Despite poor sales, the change was not taken lightly, the company said. Even when faced with low sales figures, its a difficult decision and a balancing act to give customers both what they want and what they expect.
While most restaurants no longer serve the Spicy Chicken Biscuit (its still available in 55 markets nationwide), Chick-fil-A said it recently added a new Spicy Southwest Salad to the lunch and dinner menus and the Spicy Chicken Sandwich is still available for lunch and dinner.
And for those who still want a little kick with breakfast, Billy Koehler, Chick-fil-A customer technology specialist and resident amateur chef of Fuzzys Kitchen has an idea.
I think theres a great opportunity here to come up with something that is sweet and savory with our existing condiments, like the Zesty Buffalo Sauce, he said. Or another idea is to add some honey on the biscuit with half a Texas Pete packet on each side of the filet.
The company replaced the Spicy Chicken Biscuit by introducing its first new breakfast entree in six years, the Egg White Grill.
Targeted toward health-conscious customers, the sandwich has a breakfast-sized portion of grilled chicken breast, grilled egg whites and American cheese served on a toasted multigrain English muffin. The sandwich has 300 calories and 25 grams of protein. The price starts at $3.35.
The new Egg White Grill is Chick-fil-A's first new breakfast entree since 2010.
Chick-fil-A first launched breakfast items in 1986, with the Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit. It's since added Chick-n-Minis, a Breakfast Burrito, the Greek Yogurt Parfait and a fresh fruit cup.
Chick-fil-A has more than 1,900 stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C.