KFC Chicken Nuggets Are Now Being Tested

By Daniel S. Levine

KFC has sold chicken in just about every form imaginable, from bite-sized popcorn chunks to tenders. However, the venerable fast food chain has surprisingly never had chicken nuggets on the menu. That's about to change, as the chain announced plans to add Kentucky Fried Chicken Nuggets to the menu in an effort to target younger consumers who love boneless chicken options.

The chicken nuggets will launch in the Charlotte, North Carolina market for a limited time, reports CNN. Each nugget is made with white meat and KFC's famous 11 herbs and spices. Customers can get them in servings of eight, 12, or 36 pieces.

KFC isn't afraid to admit that the company hopes the nuggets will attract younger consumers. "We're targeting younger customers, like Gen Z and Millennials, who are interested in boneless chicken options," a KFC spokesperson told CNN. The orders are available with KFC Sauce, Honey BBQ, Classic Ranch or Honey Mustard dips.

A recent survey found that Gen Z, which includes people between the ages of 18 and 24, are not that interested in dining out, leading restaurants to find new and creative ways to attract them. Last week, research company NPD Group published a survey finding that Gen 2 ordered from restaurants 218 times on average between February 2021 and February 2022. When Millennials were between 18 and 24, they went to or ordered from restaurants 244 times a year.

Of course, the pandemic, rising gas prices, and inflation also play a role in Gen Z's dining-out habits, but restaurants still see a study like this as a reason to make efforts to reach out to them. "The earlier you can engage with a consumer, the more potential you have for building loyalty and building frequency over the course of more years," Robert Byrne, director of consumer and industry insights at the restaurant consulting firm Technomic, told CNN on July 11.

Last month, KFC announced a new offering, but it wasn't a menu item. The company launched finger sporks, which are exactly what they sound like. They are sporks you can wear. Notably, KFC's campaign launching these utensils is targeting Millennials with a '90s-inspired infomercial. "Millennial parents will feel nostalgic watching one family take their meal from good to finger-lickin' good," reads the company's announcement. The company gave finger sporks away to customers who ordered the Sides Lovers Meal between June 21 and July 12. 

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