Popeyes is looking to replicate the massive success of its chicken sandwich with a fish version of the wildly popular menu item.
Called Cajun Flounder Sandwich, the fast food chain’s first-ever fried fish sandwich features a light and flakey flounder fillet flavored with a blend of Cajun seasoning. Dusted in a crispy southern coating and fried up golden brown, the fillet is served on a buttery toasted brioche bun with barrel cured pickles and tartar sauce.
Launched on Thursday, the limited-time menu item is available at participating Popeyes restaurants and for delivery nationwide for only $4.49 each.
“After seeing the response to our Chicken Sandwich in 2019, we are excited to deliver yet another delicious sandwich to our fans that is sure to reset industry standards,” said Sami Siddiqui, president of the Americas at Popeyes, in a news release. “At Popeyes, we don’t take shortcuts on quality and strive to ensure our ingredients are the best of the best. That’s why we’re proud to be serving up the most authentic, Cajun Flounder Sandwich in QSR (quick-service restaurant).”
Popeyes is so confident about the taste of its Cajun Flounder Sandwich that it offered “Sandwich Insurance” on its launch day. For an additional cost of just 15 cents, customers who ordered the fish sandwich and ended up not liking it could have it replaced with a chicken sandwich.
Siddiqui told CNN that Popeyes tested out its Cajun Flounder Sandwich around this time last year in Chicago, where “it did incredibly well.” He added that if the fish sandwich becomes as successful as its chicken counterpart, the restaurant would consider making it a permanent offering.
Popeyes’ Chicken Sandwich became a cultural phenomenon when it first came out in August 2019. After it was sold out within two weeks of release, the menu item relaunched in November of that year, further heating up the chicken sandwich wars among fast food chains.
While it’s too early to tell if the Cajun Flounder Sandwich will ignite a fish sandwich war, what’s sure is that there shouldn’t be any inventory issues this time around.
“Our flounder is a responsibly sourced, wild caught fish. Our sourcing follows NOAA standards and goes through regulations to ensure we maintain the species. The population levels of our fish are above normal, and we don’t anticipate running into any inventory issues,” Popeyes told Today in an email.
Whether or not the Cajun Flounder Sandwich will match the success of Popeyes’ chicken sandwich, its well-timed launch ― less than a week before the start of the Lenten season when many Catholics forgo meat ― is likely to help boost its sales. In 2020, Popeyes promoted a Buttermilk Biscuit Shrimp meal for Lent.