Prove your humanity


An update on the chicken sandwich conversation: what happens when a new player enters the game

As APU students, we are groomed to value the tender goodness of Chick-fil-a. We even call it our South campus. However, our loyalty is about to be put to the test with Raising Canes coming soon, next to East Campus and University Village.

Raising Canes will open in October, next to Jack in the Box on Alosta Ave. With its arrival, the chicken debate has reached new levels of intensity.  Students now have the options of Popeyes, Chick-fil-a, KFC and Raising Canes to choose from when they are craving fried chicken. Who will come out on top and how will Canes affect all of these restaurants? 

Distance

Depending on when you live, you are more likely to choose the closest restaurant to you. Let’s use the Shire Mods and UV as an example. If you live in the Mods, Popeyes and Chick-fil-a are a much shorter walk, so you would probably choose one of them. On the flip side, if you live in UV, you are more likely to choose Canes since it is just a stone’s throw away. 

 “I would choose Chick-fil-a because it’s better but yeah, I think distance definitely affects my decisions. Since parking is so bad, I choose what’s easiest to walk to,” said Mods RA Miranda Allison, a junior cinematic arts major.

Price

According to eufic, “There is no doubt that the cost of food is a primary determinant of food choice. Whether cost is prohibitive depends fundamentally on a person’s income and socio-economic status.” This factor doesn’t apply as much to customers who aren’t APU or Citrus students, but for poor college students, we are bound to choose what is cheaper. 

According to Fast Food Menu Prices, KFC has the best bang for your buck with their $5 fill-up. Popeyes finishes second on the list, with a bonafide combo, followed by the box combo from Canes. Last on the list is the chicken sandwich combo from Chick-fil-a.

Loyalty to a particular restaurant

Above all other factors, we all have our favorites. Lots of people will visit the same restaurant weekly, or even daily. Having a steady group of regular customers can affect how many people go into other chicken restaurants. Sure, a loyal Chick-fil-a customer may visit Canes once to check it out, but they will always return to their regular spot. An article by the Denver Post showcases how often someone can go to the same restaurant. One individual said “It varies, but at least a couple times a week. We used to go there (Snooze, a restaurant in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood) almost every day.”

Of course, there are other parts which contribute to the great chicken war, but these seem to be the most common factors. While these factors will contribute to the success of each restaurant, all four restaurants will probably always be busy since they are delicious fast food venues and our society is always in a big rush. Each restaurant has their pros and cons; however, I think APU students will continue to stand by our south campus. 

Chick-fil-a forever.