TORONTO -- It’s news chicken sandwich lovers across the country have been waiting for: Popeyes fast food restaurant has confirmed to CTV News Toronto that their chicken sandwich will be available in Canada later this year.
"We plan to bring the sandwich to Canada later this year, but have not yet announced specific dates,” a Popeyes spokesperson said Tuesday.
Popeyes announced the launch of the new sandwich on Aug. 19 of last year and what followed was nothing short of a viral sensation. In the United States, the sight of guests wrapping around the block just to get a taste of the deep-fried cutlet was commonplace. Some Popeyes franchises even reported being sold out of the item due to popularity.
The sandwich reached a level of notoriety in November after a man, who had been cutting in line at a crowded Popeyes, in Maryland was stabbed to death by another customer who confronted him.
Despite that, chicken lovers have been pining for the sandwich for months, with several threads on various social media platforms complaining that the sandwich has not yet made its way across the border.
“Boo, typical example all the tasty things in the states,” one Reddit user writes. “I live a minute away from Popeyes but the chicken sandwich isn't available in Canada. So disappointing,” wrote another on Twitter.
There is some confusion as to whether or not the sandwich was already available in Canada. Popeyes' menu already offers a number of varieties of fried chicken on a ciabatta bun, with lettuce, tomatoes and creamy mayo. But this particular sandwich is different and prompted thousands of comments and memes when it was first announced on Twitter.
“Chicken. Brioche. Pickles. New. Sandwich. Popeyes. Nationwide. So. Good. Forgot. How. Speak. In. Complete. Sandwiches. I mean, sentences,” Popeyes said on the day of the announcement.
The sandwich will be up against some stiff competition when it does arrive in Canada. Wendy’s and Chick-Fil-A have their own versions of fried chicken on a bun, and both claim their sandwich to be superior. That polarizing debate came to a head in the month the sandwich was first announced.
"We Didn't Invent The Chicken, Just The Chicken Sandwich!" Chick-fil-A bragged on Twitter. "Bun + Chicken + Pickles all the (heart emoji) for the original."
Wendy's responded: "Ya'll out here talking about which of these fools has the second best chicken sandwich."
Popeyes' quick retort: "Sounds like someone just ate one of our biscuits. Cause ya'll looking thirsty."
The product’s official release date in Canada has not yet been announced, so chicken lovers will have to wait patiently until it crosses the border.
With files from the Assosicated Press.
