Marketing 101

This Popeyes Chicken story is hilarious, and will doubtless be the focus of many business school marketing and supply chain management classes in years to come.

I happened to read a glowing review of the Popeye's chicken sandwich someplace and so today, upon spotting a restaurant, I stopped. The chicken sandwich photos on the ordering kiosk had a banner across that said "Be Right Back!" The voice on the speaker said they were out of just about everything. And when I got to the window, it was total chaos in the store. They were out of not just the chicken sandwich but also most of their soda flavors. The manager, working the window, told me that she wasn't getting any deliveries "until 4AM tonight" and told me they were out of everything but spicy breasts. I said "OK then!"

Twitter. Huh.

[ckelly78z]

Chit happens when companies can't find delivery people who want to work...most likely a personnel failure somewhere in the supply chain, and no fault of that resturaunt.

Reminds me of folks who don't tip the waitress because of bad resturaunt management/cook staff.

[drkshdw]

A friend and I drove thru last night around 8pm. We were greeted with pretty much the same. The only chicken they had left was spicy tenders. Got some and I can see why that's all they had left. Chicken cut into 1/4" thick slices (at best) does not make a 'tender' to me. Especially when they charge what they do for them. But I digress. It was the first time I've been there in decades and I guess it'll be just as long before I go again.

[Sooner or later]

See, it worked. Two of you took the bait. Too late, but you joined in.

[fastfredracing]

Rode past Chick fil a at 6 pm last night on my way to the rental house. Double lines wrapped around the building spilling out into the street
Rode past again at 8 on my way home . Double lines wrapped around the building spilling out into the street .
Americans are silly animals .

[masraum]

I can't even imagine. I worked in a Popeyes in Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge, VA back in 1986. I worked there for about a year. The food was pretty tasty. On the weekends, the managers would go out behind the mall and count the number of buses in the back parking lot to help estimate the amount of chicken to cook. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be so busy that there was that much OT and selling out of food.

I'm sure things are different in the way the food is made today. When I worked there, we received frozen raw chicken in boxes that held something like 168 pieces, IIRC. Once the chicken was thawed, we'd put it into a large, clean, stainless steel sink. THen we'd pour a bag of "spice" (regular or spicy) over the chicken, and then you had to "stir" the chicken with your arms to get the spice thoroughly mixed in with the chicken so the chicken was evenly coated. Then the coated chicken (just spices at that point) went into the refrigerator. When it was time to cook the chicken we'd pull the chicken, put some into the "batter" then pull it out of the batter and put it into the flour, stir it around with your hands and then into a bus tub to take it to one of the deep fryers for cooking. The batter was a dry mix that was then mixed with a liquid (I think it was milk, but can't remember for sure). The biscuits were made by hand every day. We had a dedicated biscuit guy. The "nuggets" were also raw chicken that were manually mixed with spice and then battered and fried.

In the grand scheme of things, most of the food was "made fresh." The only things that I can remember came frozen and premade were the apple pies. I wonder how differently they do it these days.

I didn't eat chicken for years after working there, even if my dad grilled it. I think it was 20 years before I went to any place remotely like a fast food chicken (Buffalo Wild Wings) place after working there.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Rode past Chick fil a at 6 pm last night on my way to the rental house. Double lines wrapped around the building spilling out into the street
Rode past again at 8 on my way home . Double lines wrapped around the building spilling out into the street .
Americans are silly animals .

The only time the parking lots and the drive through lines at Chick Fil-a are not full is on Sunday when they are not open. I do not understand why. The chicken is OK, but dang it ain't great, just another chicken sandwich. Whatever their secret, they must just print money. Maybe it is the boycott that is helping them.

We have a local Popeyes and I went in a few times over the years. Just another chicken place. Churches chicken or even the local grocery store makes better fried chicken.

We have a local shopping center that has one chicken place that sells wood fired rotisserie chicken, another place that is a Chick Filet type, across the street is KFC, and a block west is a Chick-fil-a that is PACKED, and several restaurants along the way that all sell a chicken sandwich. All within a short distance of each other.

[Sooner or later]

Just went to Chick Fil-a. As usual the place was packed. Spicy chicken sandwich and a 12 cut nugget.

They were out of large cups.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

[john70t]

It's just viral advertising.
You've seen it all before in Beanie Babies and Krispy Kreme and every black friday sale.
Don't believe the hype.

Originally Posted by masraum

I can't even imagine. I worked in a Popeyes in Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge, VA back in 1986. I worked there for about a year. The food was pretty tasty. On the weekends, the managers would go out behind the mall and count the number of buses in the back parking lot to help estimate the amount of chicken to cook. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be so busy that there was that much OT and selling out of food.

I'm sure things are different in the way the food is made today. When I worked there, we received frozen raw chicken in boxes that held something like 168 pieces, IIRC. Once the chicken was thawed, we'd put it into a large, clean, stainless steel sink. THen we'd pour a bag of "spice" (regular or spicy) over the chicken, and then you had to "stir" the chicken with your arms to get the spice thoroughly mixed in with the chicken so the chicken was evenly coated. Then the coated chicken (just spices at that point) went into the refrigerator. When it was time to cook the chicken we'd pull the chicken, put some into the "batter" then pull it out of the batter and put it into the flour, stir it around with your hands and then into a bus tub to take it to one of the deep fryers for cooking. The batter was a dry mix that was then mixed with a liquid (I think it was milk, but can't remember for sure). The biscuits were made by hand every day. We had a dedicated biscuit guy. The "nuggets" were also raw chicken that were manually mixed with spice and then battered and fried.

In the grand scheme of things, most of the food was "made fresh." The only things that I can remember came frozen and premade were the apple pies. I wonder how differently they do it these days.

I didn't eat chicken for years after working there, even if my dad grilled it. I think it was 20 years before I went to any place remotely like a fast food chicken (Buffalo Wild Wings) place after working there.

Ugh, Steve--I get why you lost your taste for chicken. Thanks for ruining my dinner!

[RWebb]

so, the advertising from the 'contest' was so good that they outran their logistics train?


that's the real MBA thesis for some kid here - how to beef up the supply chain ahead of time if a contest works

or how to make more supple supply chains

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by RWebb

so, the advertising from the 'contest' was so good that they outran their logistics train?


that's the real MBA thesis for some kid here - how to beef up the supply chain ahead of time if a contest works

or how to make more supple supply chains

They claim they ordered aggressively and sales have been so good they went through their Sept product.

[KFC911]

Ya know what really pisses me off about Chick filly....say "yer welcome" when I say thank you....not...

My pleasure

Pisses me off at least once a week !

[Seahawk]

No doubt 'shopped - gonna be a rumble!

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by KC911

Ya know what really pisses me off about Chick filly....say "yer welcome" when I say thank you....not...

My pleasure

Pisses me off at least once a week !

Better than "not a problem." That's 99% of the response here in CA.

Originally Posted by Zeke

Better than "not a problem." That's 99% of the response here in CA.

Yeah---I kind of dislike that too. Like: "Your patronage of my business does not present a problem to me." Huh? How about "Thank you."

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Popeye's will have their chicken sandwiches again starting Sunday.

[RWebb]

are they worth a 3 hr roundtrip drive??

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I have no idea, I've never had one but I would assume not. The chicken is good.