McDonald’s Tests New Chicken McGriddle In Central Ohio

Shortly after it launched its explosively popular all-day breakfast menu, McDonald’s has started testing a new item: the Chicken McGriddle. It’s a classic fried chicken patty sandwiched between two maple syrup-soaked pancake buns, giving breakfast aficionados one more reason to head to the burger chain for their fix.

The Chicken McGriddle is being tested at 11 locations in central Ohio, Columbus Business News reported Thursday. While versions of the product were tested in other markets before, this particular sandwich was created by Brian Mortellaro, owner of eight Ohio McDonald’s locations, and a small group of taste-testers.

“Filet-O-Fish, Big Mac — both of those started with owner-operators,” Mortellaro said, Columbus Business News reported. “We took this idea up the chain and they’re letting us try it out ... It’s a chicken-and-waffles taste. I just think that’s something that isn’t out there right now.”

The biggest influencer on whether the Chicken McGriddle will stay on the menu will be customer surveys, according to Mortellaro. The product is being tested at two price points, $1.49 and $2, and will be available at the 11 restaurants until March 27.

In recent years, McDonald’s has tried an array of menu additions to boost its slumping sales, but its all-day breakfast menu is what really helped the iconic burger joint; sales at U.S. locations open for at least one year rose for the first in two years in the fourth quarter. Competitors including Jack in the Box and Bojangles have recently admitted that McDonald’s has taken some of their market share as a result of the all-day breakfast menu.

“Jack in the Box sales in the last part of the quarter were lower than we anticipated as several competitors began promoting aggressive value offers ... we believe a competitor’s messaging around its launch of all-day breakfast had some impact on our results, particularly in the 10:30 a.m. to noon period,” Jack in the Box, whose shares were down 17 percent in trading Thursday, said in its earning release.