2019 was the year of the chicken sandwich

To celebrate reaching the end of this year, we asked our reporters to look back on 2019 and pick one thing they thought stood out from the rest of the cultural chaos and cursed images. You can find the complete selection of our choices here.

The earth is 4,500,000,000 years old, give or take a few million. For 4,499,999,999 of those years were missing the one key element to make them worthwhile: the Popeyes chicken sandwich. 

It hit us like a flavor wave during an otherwise ordinary week in the middle of August. On Aug. 12, Popeyes unleashed its first-ever fried chicken sandwich upon the world to a glowing response. But things didn’t get real interesting until a week later, when a certain popular fast food chain took a subtle jab at the new sammy.

Some people just can’t handle change. Or should I say, progress? Popeyes then countered with a cheeky response of their own.

Narrator: They were not “good.”

The food chains were pressed harder than a piece of fried chicken between two buttery buns. The Great Chicken Sandwich War of 2019 was only just beginning to heat up.

Soon after, other fast food chains entered the ring, armed with chicken sandwiches of their own. 

The masses promptly booted Shake Shack from the battle. Burger King mostly stuck to their burgers, but took a shot anyway, to no avail. Boston Market was high off their asses for getting involved in the first place. And Wendy’s went down in a fiery blaze when Popeyes positively incinerated them on social media, and then torched them again for good measure.

Boston market limped back into the arena. Still not understanding the point of the fight, they took yet another swing at a group of giants who refused to even acknowledge their existence. 

Legend has it Boston Market took such a big L that they don’t know what else to do except continue picking fights with other fast food chains on social media, only to be left out in the cold, ignored. 

There was a subsequent pop culture eruption of Popeyes chicken sandwich love, and for a short time, there was peace.