McDonald’s has announced it plans to offer chicken wings for a limited time at its U.S. restaurants starting September 9. The bone-in wings, breaded and seasoned with cayenne and chili pepper, will be sold through November. Mighty Wings, which were previously tested in Atlanta in 2012, will be marketed nationally with prices starting at $2.99 for three. McDonald’s said it will also be selling five and 10-piece wing orders. Customers can choose from nine sauces, ranging from creamy ranch to chipotle barbeque.
The launching of Mighty Wings will be one of the chain’s biggest launches this year, and McDonald’s is betting the product will fly with football fans. McDonald’s is using its status as the official partner of the National Football League (NFL) to help market Mighty Wings. The chain late last year signed on as the official restaurant of the NLF, a multi-year partnership that allows the chain to use the 32 team logos and the NFL shield in its marketing.
Same-store sales have been sluggish at McDonald’s, so the chain hopes this and other special menu items, will keep customers coming in and spending at the restaurants. The move by McDonald’s comes less than a year after fast-food rival KFC upended its menu and began selling boneless chicken.
“Wings is a major move,” said Scott Hume, editor of the BurgerBusiness blog. “Its like the Colonel adding a cheeseburger. The market is such that chains need menu news continuously, not occasionally,” Hume said.
