This article is brought to you by Krispy Krunchy Chicken®.

Having more food options equals more sales, right? Well, that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, offering customers too many menu choices might actually lead to lost revenue.   

Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a foodservice operator with over 3,200 locations in 47 states and plans to open more than 700 new stores in 2025. The brand takes a “quality over quantity” approach to its menu. Recently, the brand revamped its menu to prioritize simplicity by conducting an extensive analysis of its menu offerings. The process has empowered the brand to narrow its menu to the most efficient and best-selling items, which generate higher sales while reducing waste and labor challenges.  

“When revamping our menu, we started by analyzing a variety of data to ensure we are always embracing innovation while delivering on craveable Krispy Krunchy staples,” said Jim Norberg, chief executive officer. 

Curating the optimal menu wasn’t as simple as improving or removing things that didn’t sell as often. 

“We revised our offerings and built a new premium sandwich with quality ingredients that is on par with, or better than, any chicken sandwich in any restaurant. Instead of losing sales to the fast-food place across the street, c-store operators can be much more relevant and competitive,” said Joe Gordon, chief supply chain and technology officer. Gordon reports that since the sandwich’s launch in January, it has doubled in sales. 

“When conducting menu optimization, a lot of brands will just look at how much they sell,” said Alice Crowder, chief marketing officer. “But that doesn’t tell the whole story. What if I have two menu items that both sell, say, five items a day? If I cut one of them out, will everyone just order something else and not care, or will I lose five customers?” 

Krispy Krunchy answered that question by doing a custom TURF analysis, which stands for “total unduplicated reach and frequency.” The study determines the impact of product choices on consumer purchasing decisions. “TURF tells us the unique value of every item on the menu. And it helps us craft an offering that attracts the most people, the most frequently, with the least items,” continued Crowder.  

The company’s current menu features bone-in chicken, tenders, the new, improved Cajun chicken sandwich, its iconic honey biscuits, a variety of mouthwatering sides and will be introducing the newest innovation in February, chicken nuggets.  

When Krispy Krunchy initially took items off the menu, there was trepidation from retailers who assumed that offering less might mean fewer transactions.  

“But we can actually sell more—and more consistently executed—items by having a leaner, harder working menu. That also means less labor and less waste,” said Matt Testa, the company’s chief operating officer. “By culling down our offerings, we have been able to streamline our operations successfully. This focused approach enables us to enhance efficiency, reduce complexity and better allocate resources, ultimately driving improved store profits”.  

This is part one of a two-part series on Krispy Krunchy Chicken. Learn more about Krispy Krunchy here.