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A spirit that is not afraid

Chicken fries' return excite social media, sell out in Auburn

Burger King encourages customers to tweet about chicken fries using #ChickenFriesAreBack. (Raye May | Photo Editor)
Burger King encourages customers to tweet about chicken fries using #ChickenFriesAreBack. (Raye May | Photo Editor)

The world had seen chicken as both nuggets and fingers, but until 2005, no one had ever seen chicken in fry form. Then Burger King decided to change what it offered.
The initial release of the chicken fry increased Burger King's $280 million quarterly profit margin by 3 percent, according to Bloomberg.com.
When the company announced the return of the chicken fry in August, stock prices rose 1.34 percent overnight, according to TheStreet.com.
The original intention was to have a more adult way for people over the age of 10 to eat chicken nuggets, according to NBC News.
Soon after the chicken fry's unveiling, it was placed on Burger King's menu as a permanent item. However, with declining sales of the product and the addition of chicken strips to the Burger King menu in 2012, the item was removed, according to Zacks.com.
With years of public clamor over various forms of social media and multiple petitions for the fast food delicacy to come back into existence, Burger King decided to add the chicken fry back onto the menu for a limited time.
"Our fans have spoken, and we had to listen," said Eric Hirschhorn, chief marketing officer, North America, Burger King Corporation. "On peak days we've seen one tweet every 40 seconds about chicken fries, many of them directly petitioning, begging for us to bring them back. We want to do right by our guests by bringing them back for a limited time."
After being re-released Aug. 11, the chicken fry sold out in various Burger King locations around the United States within three days, according to BK.com.
The trending Twitter hashtag was then changed from #chickenfriesareback to #chickenfriesproblems.
Burger King is encouraging their customers to tweet the latter hashtag when a restaurant near them is out of the product.
One of the locations having shortage issues is the Burger King on South Gay Street.
Manager Danetta Thomas explained what happened when her store received their first batch of the fries.
"[Chicken fries] are so great," Thomas said. "We sold out the first two days in a row as soon as we started selling them again."
The chicken fries have proved popular among some adults.
"I like how easy it is to eat them," said Josh Hillyer, professor of film studies. "I had tried them the first time they were released, but because of the spectacle of it, I thought they were funny."
Chicken fries attract other audiences as well.
"They are pretty good," said Summer Hester, senior in communication disorders. "I had them the first time they came out because it was a neat concept."
Burger King has not said if chicken fries will stay for good.


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