Fast-Food Chicken Encroaching On Burger Turf

Fast food industry analysts are reporting a shift in consumer preferences away from “better burgers” to chicken. Nation’s Restaurant News reported, for example, that burger joints were not among the top five fastest-growing restaurant chains last year, all of which were chicken slingers like Chick-Fil-A and Wingstop. One analyst said “same-store [burger] sales have decelerated meaningfully." Not that burger sales in the U.S. are hurting – sales grew more than 14 percent between 2010 and 2015 to nearly $103 billion – and investors still see profit potential in burger restaurants. But others are betting on chicken eateries, maybe because chicken has a reputation among consumers for healthfulness, or because it’s cheaper than beef. Meantime, McDonald’s, Shake Shack and KFC are all enhancing the chicken side of their menus.