Inside Yum! Brands' Super Chix

Since opening in April, Super Chix has snagged much attention, and not necessarily because of its food. Some speculate that Super Chix is parent Yum! Brands’ attempt to clone Chick-fil-A, an assertion that it has denied. But Yum! admits the test store in Arlington, Texas, is a bold experiment.

The menu is limited: chicken sandwiches and tenders, french fries, a few salads and frozen custard. “We’re not trying to be everything to everybody,” says co-creator Nick Ouimet.

The signature—being touted as “the last true chicken sandwich”—sells for $3.95, $7.20 as a combo with fries and a drink and $8.95 as a combo with frozen custard are filled in 3 to 5 minutes as guests filter through a Chipotle-like line. Back of house, chicken is breaded on a refrigerated table made for Super Chix.

Feedback has brought operational tweaks, such as decreasing the hole size on the fry-seasoning lid for a more consistent application, says Ouimet, who sees room in the chicken-and-fries category for “slightly smaller, premium-quality concepts.” 

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.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Will Subway make Roark Capital too dominant? Not really

The Bottom Line: The addition of the sandwich giant will make Roark a bigger player than McDonald's in the U.S. But its position in the sandwich market will not be all that unusual.

Financing

Restaurants still look expensive, and consumers are reacting

The Bottom Line: Restaurants have stepped off the pricing gas. But sales are slowing and traffic is weak, and more operators are turning to price promotions.

Operations

Does California just hate restaurants?

Reality Check: The industry's largest state market is about to hit the business, a significant part of its economy, with all sorts of changes and new burdens. What gives?

Trending

More from our partners