Kentucky Fried Chicken announced a bold new business move on Friday, according to USA Today.
The fried chicken giant is going boneless.
The company is planning to start selling a boneless option to its original recipe. Company big-wigs believe this is the most crucial move the company has made in its six-decade history.
According to the fast-food chain, customers will no longer be hassled with buckets filled with leg and thigh bones. Instead they will get pieces of boneless chicken bigger than tenders, with both white and dark meat. However, the chicken will still have the KFC original recpipe.
Former McDonalds brand strategist, John Cywinski, has been the KFC president for United States branch for two years.
"This is the biggest new product introduction for KFC in modern times," he said. "This will be one of the great American turnaround stories."
The move comes at a time when the chain is struggling. A combination of the economic crisis and a national desire for a healthier America has hurt the company.
"You walk by the place, and it may smell good, but you just know it's not good for you," Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys said.
Keys is a research company that studies consumer loyalty
Consumers in the U.S. prefer to eat KFC food for dinner, KFC prides themselves on their lunch. Also times are changing. Many people want to be able to eat and do other things at the same time. Usually eating a piece of chicken with bones requires two hands. According to research firm, Technomic, six out of ten consumers would rather eat boneless chicken.
"Our Holy Grail is chicken on the bone," Jason Marker, marketing chief at KFC, said. "We are taking our hero product and drastically changing it."
Despite the risk Cywinski is confident the greater things are on the horizon.
"It won't happen overnight, but we will transform how people think about the brand," he said.
The company is also making plans to develop a sandwich menu, wraps, as well as soups and salads.
The company will selling the new chicken on April 14.
