Double Down (sandwich)

Double Down
Nutritional value per 248 g
Energy 2,552.24 kJ (610.00 kcal)
18g
Sugars 1 g
Dietary fiber 1 g
37 g
Saturated 11 g
Trans 1 g
52 g
Minerals
Sodium
(125%)

1880 mg

Other constituents
Cholesterol 150 mg
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.

The Double Down is a pseudo-sandwich offered by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). The Double Down contains "bacon, two different kinds of melted cheese, the Colonel's secret sauce... pinched in between two pieces of Original Recipe chicken fillets."[1] It is also available with grilled chicken fillets instead of the Original Recipe fried fillets, and with KFC's Zinger fillets (spicy) to customers in select countries.

History

Africa

South Africa

KFC South Africa premiered the Double Down in March 2013. To obtain its halal certification, the bacon is replaced with a slice of processed smoked chicken.[2]

Asia

Japan

On February 2, 2012, the Double Down went on sale in Japan for a limited time as the Chicken Fillet Double.[3] KFC Singapore launched the Zinger Double Down on April 16, 2012.[4] Instead of regular bacon, the Singapore version uses turkey bacon to conform to halal standards.[5] Following this, KFC Malaysia introduced the Double Down as well starting on the 25th of September 2012.[6]

Philippines

In November 2010, the Double Down sandwich was launched in select branches in the Philippines, the first in Asia. Nearly one year later, in October 2011, KFC Philippines replaced it with the Zinger Double Down, with a spicy flavor and crunchy skin. The product was discontinued in the Philippines in mid-2012, but reintroduced in January 2014 together with a smaller version, the Junior Double Down. It was discontinued yet again in May 2014, but relaunched in January 2015 for a limited time only, together with a new variation, the Double Down Dog. In January 2016, another new variation was introduced, the Double Down G which contains "crispy fried spinach" with a "secret green sauce".

South Korea

On November 11, 2012, the arrival of Zinger Double Down was first teased on the official Facebook page of KFC Korea,[7] and it went on sale as a limited offer on December 1. The promotion lasted through March 1, 2013, but it was later announced that Zinger Double Down would make a temporary return on October 19, along with a variant named Zinger Double Down MAXX with added hash brown patty and salsa.[8] Both sandwiches were later added as a year-round menu in March 2014, and in April the original Double Down was also made available. In October 2014, yet another variant named Zinger Double Down KING was announced, with a beef patty and barbecue sauce in the middle of two Zinger patties.[9]

Europe

France

KFC released the Double Down into French markets in October 2014 as a limited edition product. It was then re-released in two flavours - Original Bacon and Spicy Zinger - in August 2015.

Spain

In March 2016, the Double Down was introduced in Spain. The Spanish version has bacon, cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce in the two pieces of chicken fillet. Its advertising slogan is "No apto para cobardes" ("Not for cowards").

North America

Canada

On October 18, 2010, KFC restaurants in Canada began selling the fried version of the Double Down sandwich for a limited time.[10] It was reported that on its launch date, a KFC in Victoria, British Columbia was sold out of Double Down sandwiches by as early as 2 p.m.[11] In French Canada, it is known as "Coup Double",[12][13] roughly translated as "Double Punch". The sandwich was discontinued in Canada on November 14, 2010, but on 25 May 2011, KFC announced it was returning at least temporarily.[14] In 2012 the Double Down returned to Canada, again for a limited time.[15] In August 2015, KFC Canada finally brought the Double Down back again after a three-year absence.

United States

The KFC Double Down was initially test marketed in Omaha, Nebraska, and Providence, Rhode Island.[16] KFC announced it in an April Fools' Day press release,[17] and launched the item in the United States on April 12, 2010.[18] It has been promoted via billboards[19] and a TV commercial that says it has "so much 100 percent premium chicken, we didn't have room for a bun."

Originally a limited time offer that was supposed to end on May 23, 2010, KFC reversed course on May 19, 2010, stating that the item would remain available indefinitely. The chain cited its popularity in overall sales, as well as videos of people eating the Double Down becoming a YouTube sensation. Stephen Colbert ate one on The Colbert Report, spurring the item's popularity even more.[20]

Oceania

Australia and New Zealand

KFC Australia started selling the Double Down (renamed The Double) with the tagline "make time for mantime" on March 30, 2011, for a limited time only.[21] The Double was successful in Australia, although it was criticized for being unhealthy.[22][23] KFC Australia announced via their Facebook page that if they reached 500,000 likes, they would bring the Double back to Australian stores for a limited time period of two days. The page reached 500,000 likes on June 15, 2012, and KFC announced that the sandwich would go on sale on June 27 and 28. The Double reappeared on menus in December 2012, again for a limited time only.

From May 10, 2011, the Double Down was available in New Zealand for an initially limited period of five weeks.[24] The Double Down was also brought back for one day only on March 31, 2012 exclusively in Dunedin to raise funds for the Otago Rugby Union which faced financial difficulties in early 2012.[25] On July 24, 2012, KFC resumed sales of the Double Down in New Zealand.

On October 28, 2016, KFC announced via Facebook that they would again sell the Double Down for a limited time, as well as a new spinoff product called the Hawaiian Double (replacing bacon with pineapple), commencing November 1. This was in response to an online campaign launched by Australian Facebook page 'Yeah the Boys'.[26][27][28][29][30]

Nutritional analysis

NPR compared its calorie count to that of McDonald's Premium Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich. Both the grilled and fried Double Down products have nearly a full day's worth of sodium according to the American Heart Association's guidelines.[31] A Los Angeles Times reviewer pointed out that the grilled chicken Double Down has fewer calories and less fat than the fried chicken Double Down (460 versus 540 calories, and 23 g versus 32 g fat) but that the grilled chicken option has more sodium (1,430 mg versus 1,380). The L.A. Times article also noted that both Double Downs have fewer calories than Burger King's TenderCrisp chicken sandwich, which has 800 calories.[32][33]

Sales

From its April 12, 2010 nationwide launch through early July, a KFC spokesperson reported that the chain had sold 10 million of the sandwiches for a total of about US$50 million in revenue. An analyst said that figure accounts for 5% of KFC's sales in that time period, a figure insubstantial to KFC's financial bottom line.[34]

In Canada, the sandwich became KFC's best-selling new menu item ever, selling over 350,000 sandwiches in less than 10 days.[35] Despite sales in excess of one million sandwiches, KFC Canada discontinued the Double Down in 2010, reviving it again for a short period in 2011.[36] In August 2015, KFC Canada is bringing back the Double Down for an as-yet undisclosed amount of time. Sales in New Zealand were 600,000 units over its five-week promotion.[37] Grant Ellis, CFO of New Zealand KFC operator Restaurant Brands, said that despite these sales the Double Down "did cannibalise some of our better-margin products."[38]

Following the launch of Zinger Double Down in Korea, the overall sales for KFC Korea increased by 20%.[39]

References

  1. ↑ Katelin Paiz KFC releases Double Down breadless sandwich nationwide April 13, 2010 Daily Titan (Cal State Fullerton)
  2. ↑ "Double Down | KFC South Africa".
  3. ↑ "KFC Japan". Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  4. ↑ "KFC Zinger Double Down". KFC Singapore.
  5. ↑ KFC Singapore - Avengers Zinger Double Down
  6. ↑ "KFC Zinger Double Down Introduced in Malaysia (Facebook)".
  7. ↑ "KFC Korea's teaser announcement". KFC Korea. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "KFC Korea's announcement for Zinger Double Down MAXX". KFC Korea. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "KFC Korea's teaser announcement for Zinger Double Down KING". KFC Korea. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "It's Here! KFC Canada Introduces Double Down on October 18, 2010" (Press release). KFC. October 7, 2010.
  11. ↑ "KFC Debuts the Double Down in Canada - Sandwich Sells out at Victoria restaurant". A News. October 18, 2010.
  12. ↑ Il arrive! PFK offrira le sandwich Coup Double à compter du 18 octobre 2010
  13. ↑ Le dangereux «Coup Double» de PFK arrive au pays | Diana Mehta | Nutrition
  14. ↑ KFC's Double Down returning to Canada - Healthzone.ca
  15. ↑ KFC Brings Double Down Back
  16. ↑ Scott Gold The KFC Double Down: This Is Why the Terrorists Hate Our Freedom September 25, 2009 The Faster Times
  17. ↑ Wells, Jane (6 April 2010). "KFC's New Sandwich-What Would the Colonel Say?". CNBC.com. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  18. ↑ Chen, Dalson (April 15, 2010). "This sandwich lacks ... bread!". The Windsor Star. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  19. ↑ Rosemary Black (August 26, 2009). "KFC's new 'Double Down' sandwich swaps bun for two deep-fried chicken breasts, extra calories". Daily News (New York).
  20. ↑ "KFC to keep selling meaty Double Down". USA Today. May 21, 2010.
  21. ↑ Jones, Grant (March 29, 2011). "KFC's 1939kj Double Down Burger takes an hour of intense exercise to burn off". The Daily Telegraph.
  22. ↑ Millimaci, Grace (March 30, 2011). "Manly burger gets the thumbs down". The West Australian. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  23. ↑ "New burger without buns". The West Australian. March 29, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  24. ↑ Harper, Paul (May 9, 2011). "Controversial KFC burger on sale tomorrow". New Zealand Herald.
  25. ↑ "KFC Double Down raises $30,000 for Otago Rugby recovery". KFC New Zealand. April 4, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Yeah The Boys - Timeline | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  27. ↑ "KFC - Timeline | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  28. ↑ "Yeah The Boys - Timeline | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  29. ↑ "KFC - Timeline | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  30. ↑ "Aussie Facebook Page Intimidates KFC Into Bringing Back The Double Down". www.triplem.com.au. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  31. ↑ Popovich, Nadja (April 13, 2010). "The Nutritional Lowdown On KFC's Double Down". NPR.
  32. ↑ Kennedy, Gerrick (April 12, 2010). "KFC's Double Down: A cheesy, sodium-filled sandwich—will you be buying?". Los Angeles Times.
  33. ↑ Silver, Nate (19 April 2010). "Double Down by the Numbers: Unhealthiest Sandwich Ever?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  34. ↑ Smith, Aaron (July 14, 2010). "KFC's Double Down fails to take off". CNN. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  35. ↑ Kennedy, Brendan (October 28, 2010). "Canadians Double Down on KFC's controversial 'sandwich'". The Star. Toronto.
  36. ↑ Leung, Wency (November 16, 2010). "The Double Down disappears in Canada". The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  37. ↑ Adams, Christopher (April 4, 2012). "Double Down returns at higher price". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  38. ↑ Adams, Christopher (March 8, 2012). "Double Down burger eats into profits". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  39. ↑ Lee, Seunghyeon. "[몰라도 되는 식품이야기] 빵 없는 버거가 있다고? (There's a Burger without the Buns?)". EDaily (in Korean). Retrieved 16 October 2014.
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