First there were McNuggets. Then there were Chicken McBites.
Now McDonald's could be adding "Mighty Wings" to its chicken menu.
The world's biggest hamburger chain is set to expand its
test of chicken wings to Chicago this week,
after a successful run in Atlanta
last year. The wings are expected to be sold in three, five or 10 pieces with
prices likely starting at $3, according to Lynne Collier, an analyst with
Sterne Agee.
A spokeswoman for McDonald's confirmed the test in Chicago would start this
week but said there weren't any plans yet to bring the wings to other cities.
Fast-food chains typically test items in select markets before taking them
national. But for McDonald's, which has 14,000 U.S. locations, adding chicken
wings to the permanent lineup could be tricky.
Prices for chicken wings have been climbing over the past
year, reflecting an increase in the number of restaurants serving them, said
David Harvey, an agriculture economist who specializes in poultry and eggs at
the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In December, the cost of wings in the
wholesale market in the Northeast was 26 percent higher than a year ago. Wings
sold for $1.90 a pound that month, compared with $1.30 a pound for boneless,
skinless chicken breasts.
And prices could continue to climb with demand remaining
high.
Rather than becoming a permanent part of the menu,
McDonald's could offer the dish for a limited time; the chain has said it plans
to ramp up the frequency of such special offers as a way to give customers more
variety. But whether it will offer "Mighty Wings" even on a
limited-time basis will likely depend on McDonald's ability to get wings at
reasonable prices, said Collier, the analyst with Sterne Agee.
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