KFC just proved that sometimes the best business strategy is the simplest one.
Listen to your customers.
And KFC brought back one fan favorite after decades that left customers lining up.
KFC answers decades of customer demands with Original Honey BBQ return
The chicken chain announced on October 6 that it’s bringing back Original Honey BBQ – what KFC describes as among their most demanded menu requests ever.
This wasn’t some focus group decision or marketing gimmick.
This was KFC finally answering years of customer requests since the late 90s when Original Honey BBQ first developed a devoted following.
"KFC’s Original Honey BBQ wasn’t just a menu offering, it became a cultural touchstone that fans have been craving and asking us to bring back for years," Catherine Tan-Gillespie, President of KFC U.S., said in a statement.¹
The fan response on social media tells you everything you need to know about how hungry people were for this comeback.
"Original BBQ and wedges are back. My childhood is back," one fan said.²
That customer reference to "wedges" isn’t accidental – KFC also brought back their popular potato wedges after years of customer demand.
Another customer wrote: "Thanks for listening to your customers lol."²
A third commented: "Thank you for this!!! OMG!! Why did I buy KFC yesterday? Ohh well I guess I have a reason to eat it again today!!!!"²
But here’s where KFC got smart – they didn’t just bring back the same old sauce for the same old chicken pieces.
They expanded it.
KFC makes strategic expansion beyond original offering
Original Honey BBQ is now available on chicken sandwiches and chicken tenders, not just the classic pieces that made it famous in the late 90s.
That’s the kind of thinking that separates successful businesses from the ones that coast on nostalgia alone.
KFC recognized they had lightning in a bottle and decided to put it everywhere customers might want it.
The timing couldn’t be better either.
KFC is offering throwback pricing to go with the throwback flavor – the chicken sandwich is just $3.99, available in both classic and spicy varieties.
For the 13 days leading up to Halloween, KFC Rewards members can unlock special deals including a free classic chicken sandwich with a $10 purchase and 50% off a 12-piece chicken-only bucket.
The enthusiasm from longtime customers shows this wasn’t just smart business – it was long overdue customer service.
The smart money says listening to customers still works
Look, this is how American business is supposed to work.
Companies make products people want, customers tell them what they like, and smart businesses pay attention.
KFC spent decades fielding requests to bring back Original Honey BBQ and their potato wedges while customers even tried making their own copycat recipes at home.
Both items had devoted followings that refused to give up asking for their return.
That’s not just nostalgia talking – that’s proven market demand that KFC finally decided to meet.
"What better way to continue our KFC comeback than to bring back this legendary flavor and reintroduce it in a bigger and bolder way — on everything," Tan-Gillespie said.¹
The word "comeback" there isn’t accidental.
KFC, like a lot of American brands, has been struggling to connect with customers who remember when things used to be better.
Bringing back what actually worked – instead of chasing every food trend that walks through the door – shows they’re finally figuring out that sometimes the old ways were the right ways.
For folks who remember when fast food actually tasted like something, KFC’s decision to bring back Original Honey BBQ isn’t just about chicken sauce.
It’s about a company that stopped trying to reinvent the wheel and started giving people what they actually wanted.
That’s a business lesson more American companies should learn.
¹ Brooke Steinberg, "KFC brings back original fan-favorite flavor after decades off the menu," New York Post, October 7, 2025.
² Ibid.