In the 1980s and 1990s, burger chains dominated the fast-food industry following the “Burger Wars” between McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s.
Also in the 1980s, the Burger Wars transformed into the original Chicken Sandwich Wars, pitting three rivals. It enjoyed a renaissance in the new millennium with the launch of Popeyes’ chicken sandwich in August 2019.
Rival Chick-fil-A issued a statement on Twitter pushing back on Popeye’s new sandwich, saying its sandwich is the original sandwich introduced in 1964, as fast food chains everywhere began introducing or reintroducing chicken sandwiches.
With all these chicken sandwiches out there, fried chicken restaurants have become the most popular concept in fast food.
If the concept continues last year’s trend, fried chicken restaurant chains may remain the most popular sub-sector of the fast food industry by 2026.
According to Fast Company, data from market research firm Circana showed that traffic for chicken concepts increased by 3% in the year to September 2025, while traffic for all concepts fell by 1% compared with the previous year.
Experts say the variety of chicken options, such as nuggets, strips or chicken sandwiches, and how consumers enjoy their choices may help the concept’s continued popularity.
“This is due to the experiences brands create and the diversity of chicken and ways to enjoy chicken,” Reilly Newman, industry expert at Motif Brands, told Food Research. “This is not surprising as the experience economy has taken root around the world.
“The chicken can be (fully) customized, sauced and formatted to the buyer’s preference,” Newman said.
Not all chicken fast-food restaurants will benefit from increased traffic in 2025, as some operators have encountered financial difficulties, leading to bankruptcy filings.
A bankrupt operator of more than 130 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen franchises has closed 17 underperforming restaurants in Florida and Georgia and filed a motion to reject leases for all stores.
The franchisee, Sailormen Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Jan. 15 and closed eight locations on Jan. 19, five on Jan. 20 and four on Jan. 22, according to court documents. It filed a motion to deny the lease in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami.
The Debtors claimed that the lease should have been denied as of the petition date because the restaurant closed within one week of the petition date and prior to the Debtors’ first day motion hearing.
More bankruptcies:
Interfoods of America Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary headquartered in Miami, Florida, believes closing the 17 unprofitable locations will reduce the debtor’s selling, general and administrative expenses by more than $1 million annually.
The debtor is in the process of removing equipment and other personal property from the location for redistribution or sale.
Sailormen filed for Chapter 11 protection after failed sales at certain locations, defaults on credit lines and a series of lawsuits and store closings that left the company in financial trouble, RK Consultants reported.
Founded in 1987 with 10 stores, Sailormen is one of the largest domestic Popeyes franchisees in the company’s system, with more than 136 stores in Florida and Georgia. There are currently approximately 2,900 employees.
The debtor once owned more locations but streamlined its portfolio in 2018 by divesting assets in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi to focus on its core Southeast market.
Court documents show Sailormen needed to file for bankruptcy after suffering severe liquidity constraints, which worsened after a $1 million proposal to divest 16 stores in Georgia failed, leading to lawsuits and restaurant closures.
The debtor also defaulted on credit lines held by BMO Bank NA totaling about $130 million, Bondoro reported. The lender filed a complaint against the debtor in December 2025 and sought the appointment of a receiver in early January 2026, prompting the bankruptcy filing.
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This article was originally published by TheStreet on January 31, 2026, and first appeared in the Restaurant section. Click here to add TheStreet as your preferred source.