- [Narrator] This is the McDonald's Big Mac,
the Burger King Whopper,
and the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich.
Each is a flagship sandwich
of their respective fast food chain.
This is what they looked like when we bought them.
No food stylist here.
The McDonald's and Burger King burgers
contained beef patties
and a variety of ingredients and toppings,
but Chick-fil-A's Chicken Sandwich
only has four ingredients
if you include the butter on the bun.
♪ Hey, Chick-fil-A today, Chick-fil-A ♪
- [Narrator] Simplicity and consistency
have been the cornerstones of Chick-fil-A's menu
for the past 50 years.
Simplicity, consistency, and chicken.
You can see it in their sandwiches.
Chick-fil-A's commitment to simplicity
throughout the business from its ingredients
to its franchise structure has helped the company expand
from a regional chain to a national brand
with about 2400 restaurants in 48 states.
Chick-fil-A's simple menu offerings
have fueled recent sales growth in store expansion
during a time when the restaurant
is looking to attract more national consumers.
The restaurant's approach runs counter to its competition
who regularly adds and swaps out menu items
to appeal to new customers.
Look at this chart.
Chick-fil-A made an average of 12 permanent
or limited time additions
to its menu annually in recent years.
Burger King has averaged 37 additions per year
and McDonald's has averaged 49.
Analysts say chains like McDonald's and Burger King
have good reason to add and swap out menu items.
New sandwiches can be an opportunity
to create buzz and capitalize on consumer taste trends,
but there are drawbacks.
A new item could cut into the sales of a menu staple
and reduce kitchen efficiency if it's difficult to prepare.
McDonald's dropped its line of signature-crafted burgers
this year because the prep time
led to longer waits at the drive-through.
Drive-through efficiency can be a casualty of larger menus
because consumers need more time to read them
and sort through the special offers.
More time ordering can decrease the number
of drive-through customers served per hour
and more items on the menu
can mean more opportunities for the staff
to get the order wrong.
Chick-fil-A received the highest marks
in drive-through performance
out of all major fast food chains
for customer service and order accuracy
according to a 2018 survey by SeeLevel HX.
The restaurant has dominated
the American Customer Satisfaction Index
since the Index began asking customers about the chain.
Here it is compared with other quick-service restaurants
like McDonald's, Burger King, and Starbucks.
Chick-fil-A attributes this in part to their business model,
which typically allows operators
to only run one restaurant apiece.
McDonald's franchise owners operate an average
of about six restaurants,
but Chick-fil-A's single-owner per restaurant
allows them to ensure
consistent food quality and operations.
Customers are happy eating Chick-fil-A,
but they're also happy eating chicken in general.
Over the past half century, America's taste for chicken
has grown while its taste for beef has dropped.
While still not as popular as burgers,
the sale of breaded-chicken sandwiches
has increased over the past decade
while beef burger sales have dropped slightly
as American diners look for alternatives to red meat.
How much Chick-fil-A can capitalize on this consumer trend
towards chicken remains to be seen.
It has increased its market share
amongst its chicken-focused competitors
over the past decade and is poised to become
the third-biggest U.S. restaurant chain by sales,
trailing only McDonald's and Starbucks.
Its expansion outside of its core market in the South
will test whether Chick-fil-A can continue to grow
off its lean menu and whether its simple chicken sandwich
can attract more customers who think it's more
than just the sum of its parts.
(pleasant mallet percussion music)
McDonald's said in a statement that,
"Menu changes allow restaurants to offer
"the most popular items while also giving local markets
"the ability to add more local tastes at the speed
"and convenience our customers expect."
(pleasant mallet percussion music)