Vs Goliath: Chicken Guy vs Chick-fil-A

Fried chicken is an American staple and its not just rooted in the south. There is no official crown, but the current king of fried chicken is Chick-fil-A. Look no further than the fact they can afford to close on Sunday as proof of their dominance. Despite Chick-fil-A owning a strong portion of the market, there has never been a shortage of new challengers trying to satisfy the rampant demand for the best fried chicken. One of those upcoming challengers carries a familiar name in the restaurant industry, Guy Fieri. Guy Fieri is a world-famous American chef, food critic, and author. His fast casual chicken concept, Chicken Guy!, has been taking the U.S. by storm thanks to a combination of its founder’s name recognition and the reputation of their chicken. Is Chicken Guy! poised to conquer the fried chicken world?

Chick-fil-A is an anomaly in the fast food/fast causal restaurant space. Almost every company focuses on how to improve slow day parts and maximize the limited windows like lunch and dinner when guests flock to their restaurants. Restaurants often operate on thin margins, and many would love to have an eight day in the week to sell more food. Chick-fil-A willingly limits themselves to six days a week. And the day they close is Sunday, historically one of the busiest days of the week for a restaurant. There is no surer sign of success than being able to turn away paying customers. Despite only being open six days a week, lines at the restaurant are notoriously long, often stretching into local roadways and causing havoc with traffic. Their chicken is just that popular. They don’t really alter their menu much either, they only add new items every few years and their seasonal offerings are on par with competitors. People love the food, but it is also the service and consistency that wins people over at the restaurant. You know exactly what you are getting and no matter which location you go to, you will receive the same high-quality product and service. That approach earns them the level of loyalty that many other restaurants crave.

Now that we have outlined why Chick-fil-A is so dominant, they feel a little unbeatable, right? Well, that isn’t stopping Guy Fieri and Chicken Guy!. The concept was created back in 2018 when Guy Fieri and Robert Earl put their heads together to come up with a fried chicken concept that would change the game. Their first restaurant popped up in a uniquely Florida location, Disney Springs. Disney Springs is a shopping and entertainment district located near the Walt Disney World theme park. The beauty of Disney Springs is that the district is completely free to enter, yet it often draws in crowds from all over the world. Guy Fieri’s name is iconic, and it didn’t take long for his concept to become one of the most popular restaurants in Disney Springs. Disney Springs allowed Fieri to open a single location that could reach millions of people from different walks of life. It’s no surprise that demand for his concept grew and they wasted no time in expanding. Like Chick-fil-A the menu is rather simple, yet it is the quality that sets it apart. Fired chicken created by two world-renowned chefs has a lot to live up to and so far, Chicken Guy! has answered the bell.

No one is going to dethrone Chick-fil-A anytime soon, if there was a poster child for “too big to fail,” they would be it. However, it is refreshing to know that there is a space for new fried chicken concepts, after all, options are always better for the consumer. Guy Fieri has used both name recognition and a smart starting location to jumpstart his own horse in the race and only the quality of his fried chicken will tell how far he can go.