Get All Access for $5/mo

McDonald's Releases Its First New McNugget Flavor in 40 Years, and Wendy's Cries Fowl The fast-food giant is jumping on the spicy chicken bandwagon, causing Wendy's to start a Twitter feud.

By Jonathan Small

McDonald's

In the beginning, there was the Chicken McNugget. The tender but crispy morsel introduced by McDonald's to much fanfare back in 1981. And it was good.

But different times and tastes, call for different flavors. And McDonald's hopes to cash in on the spicy chicken craze sweeping the nation. The fast-food chain announced that it would be releasing Spicy Chicken McNuggets on September 16 for a limited time.

Facing dismal last-quarter sales, McDonald's is hoping their spicy chicken offering is as big a hit as it was for Popeye's, which saw earnings rise 24 percent after they introduced their spicy chicken sandwich causing long lines and near-riots.

The Spicy Chicken McNuggets are breaded in a tempura coating of cayenne and chili peppers. They are served with a Mighty Hot Sauce, which is also the chain's first new dipping sauce in three years. For those looking for a little relief, McDonald's is also introducing the new Chips Ahoy! McFlurry—vanilla soft-serve, caramel topping, and cookie pieces blended throughout.

"Our customers have been asking for Spicy McNuggets for some time now," said Linda VanGosen, vice president of menu innovation, in a press release. "We can't wait for McNuggets fans to get a taste of these new spicy options."

Related: 8 Things McDonald's Can Teach You About Business Success

Wendy's not pleased.

No sooner had McDonald's made their historic announcement when Wendy's took to Twitter to troll their rival. Wendy's has its own spicy chicken nuggets, which the restaurant chain brought back last year after customers petitioned them for it.

Related: Want to Be More Like Wendy's on Twitter? Here's What the Company's CMO Says to Do.

When a fan asked on Twitter about Wendy's reaction to McDonald's announcement, things go spicy.

Wendy's diss is referring to Burger King's introduction of their own spicy nugget offering last May.

But the shade did not stop there. When another Twitter follower posited that Burger King was better than McDonald's, Wendy's pulled no punches.

Twitter wars such as these are good publicity, and Wendy's knows what they're doing. The ultimate test will be when the Spicy McNuggets hit the marketplace. If customers like what they taste, McDonald's might have the last laugh.

Jonathan Small

Entrepreneur Staff

Founder, Write About Now Media

Jonathan Small is an award-winning author, journalist, producer, and podcast host. For 25 years, he has worked as a sought-after storyteller for top media companies such as The New York Times, Hearst, Entrepreneur, and Condé Nast. He has held executive roles at Glamour, Fitness, and Entrepreneur and regularly contributes to The New York Times, TV Guide, Cosmo, Details, Maxim, and Good Housekeeping. He is the former “Jake” advice columnist for Glamour magazine and the “Guy Guru” at Cosmo.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Most Popular

See all
Growing a Business

He Left the Corporate World to Pursue His Passion for the Outdoors. 25 Years Later, His Business Is Thriving Thanks to These 4 Principles.

Cliff Bressler shares how he started Nature's Friends Landscaping — and continues to thrive today — on a recent episode of 'Behind the Review.'

By Emily Washcovick
Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

By Bryan Lovgren
Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

By Jacqueline Whitmore
Science & Technology

Cyber Attacks Are Inevitable — So Stop Preparing For If One Happens and Start Preparing For When One Will

Cyber resilience is not just about building walls of protection but also having the resilience to bounce back stronger. This article explains why embracing resilience should be a top priority for businesses to ensure continuity in the ever-expanding cybersecurity landscape.

By Rakesh Soni
By Emily Rella
Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.

By Vasily Voropaev