
In sync with National French Fry Day on July 13, KFC made its Secret Recipe Fries a permanent menu item, replacing the chain’s Potato Wedges. And for today only, customers can get the fries for 30 cents, priced the same as they were 50 years ago.

But KFC may have a hard time competing with the fast-food leaders in the french fry space. According to National Today, a website dedicated to holiday promotions, McDonald’s fries are the clear winner. In a survey of 1,000 Americans, 35% rated McDonald’s as having the tastiest french fries, followed by Chick-fil-A (13%) and Five Guys (12%), with Wendy’s and Arby’s tied at 11%.
Regular fries remain a favorite with 21% of respondents, but curly fries are close behind at 20%. And ketchup is by far the favorite condiment as ranked by 55% of respondents.

Perhaps that inspired Heinz to get into the action. In honor of National French Fry Day, the ketchup company is partnering with the Great American Takeout for a ketchup art competition. Aspiring artists can express their creativity by decorating an order of takeout fries with swirls, dollops and squiggles. Those who submit a photo on Instagram or Twitter tagged #TheGreatAmericanTakeout and #sweepstakes by the end of the day are eligible for a prize of $1,869 to use on 57 future takeout orders.
Potato fans seeking an alternative to fries can also reap rewards today. Taco John’s is giving away a free small order of its signature Potato Olés, which the chain claims is a bigger, bolder side dish than french fries. Customers can redeem the order on the Taco John’s app and post a photo on social media with the hashtag #OlesNotFries.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.