Burger King Just Discontinued This GOAT Sandwich and Fans Are Mourning the Loss
Did Burger King give up on the Ch'King too soon? Customers sure seem to think so.
ICYMI, all the variations of the chain's signature chicken sandwich are being retired this month and replaced by the newly launched Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwiches. And while the company is rather quiet about the transition, customers have been vocal about their thoughts on losing the Ch'King so soon after it was launched.
@BurgerKing Why the Christ are you discontinuing the Ch'King chicken sandwich? It was terrific, thick, spicy, crunchy yet moist and so on and so forth. It also happened to be your only menu item that actually made elimination enjoyable. Please explain.
— Richard M. Nixon (@richardnixonus) August 14, 2022
@BurgerKing So you're just gonna discontinue the greatest sandwich you ever had? Ch-King Is the only reason I've been a Burger King in the past 15 years anyway. And then you go and discontinue it. That thing was better than Popeyes chicken sandwich. Way to make another bad move!
— Apex Garage Door Services (@ApexDoor) August 10, 2022
In a little over a year it spent on the menu, the spicy Ch'King managed to garner a GOAT chicken sandwich reputation–which is no small feat considering the dozens upon dozens of chicken sandwiches that have launched since Popeyes made its big splash in the category in 2019.
Burger King was definitely late to this party, but it did one thing right: it created one of the best spicy chicken sandwiches out there. From regular Americans that simply enjoy a heat-packed fried chicken moment to fast-food connoisseurs pitting chicken sandwiches against each other, praises were heaped upon Burger King's hand-breaded creation that had been in the works for several years.
But according to Dan Accordino, CEO of Burger King's major franchisee Carrols Restaurant Group, the sales of the Ch'King didn't take off the way the company had been expecting.
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"They spent a fortune on the chicken sandwich and it just didn't do what it was supposed to do," he said earlier this year. "The Ch'King didn't generate the excitement that was hoped for."
Not to mention, the sandwich was allegedly complicated to make.
So BK made quite a controversial decision to cut its losses only a year in and dispense with the losing Ch'King line to make room for a new, simpler one. But fans aren't on board with the rather hasty move just yet.
@BurgerKing the new chicken sandwich sucks. 👎 👎
— Kevin Robertson (@KevinDRobertson) August 17, 2022
@BurgerKing your Royal Crispy Chicken is far from royal & not nearly as good as the Ch'King was. Maybe I just got a bad one. Not trying again. Didn't get a receipt either #sadtinypatty #disappointing #sadness #sadsandwich #yourebetterthanthis pic.twitter.com/j4QzerdSBm
— InteriorInflux (@interiorinflux) August 22, 2022
So what are some of the gripes that fans have with the new Royal sandwiches? For one, they seem to be much less substantial in the chicken department than the old Ch'King, and for another, some have called it "soggy."
WTH @BurgerKing ? You create a top tier chicken sandwich with the Ch'King and then you take it away and replace it with this new Royal soggy garbage. Big Fail!!!
— James Underwood (@fire259) August 19, 2022
Tried the Royal Chicken @BurgerKing. Tasted good but poor value. Paid $6.49 for a thin piece of chicken. Not as big as the Chi'King (awesome name BTW). #chiking #royalchicken
— Kevin (@kev1006) August 17, 2022
Sorry, BK, but you may have made the wrong move!
