McDonald’s is testing Buttermilk Crispy Tenders at 138 restaurants in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. McDonald’s is also testing a new dipping sauce with the tenders that it describes as “slightly tangy and sweet.” Chicken and breakfast are two focus areas for McDonald’s menu development in the near future, said Lance Richards, vice president of menu strategy.
The Buttermilk Crispy Tenders are an incarnation of the Buttermilk Crispy Chicken sandwich that McDonald’s introduced in 2015, which has seen strong sales, the company said. McDonald’s has had chicken tenders on the menu previously. Chicken Selects were on the national menu for more than a decade, but were removed in 2013. Chicken Selects returned to the menu two years later on a limited-time offer.
Testing in limited markets is how McDonald’s creates its national menu. The company typical tests chicken in the Southeast; hamburgers in Texas, coffee in the Northeast, and salads in the West. They do this because those menu items tend to make up a bigger portion of sales in those spots. McDonald’s testing time varies and it is possible that tested menu items may never end up on the national menu or will appear only a on limited-time basis.
