Open Letter to Chick-Fil-A: You’ve Lost the Battle In Albany
I hate to say it Chick-Fil-A, but Popeye's wins the chicken sandwich battle by default here in the Capital Region.
And I am not saying it to be mean, it is just based on the simple fact that I do not have to buy an airline ticket to enjoy Popeye's new chicken sandwich. Just like any other food craving I may have, I can satisfy my Popeye's chicken fix without being subjected to a TSA pat down or having to take my shoes off at Albany International Airport. Don't get me wrong: I don't mind waiting to get through airport security. After emptying my wallet for a plane ticket I just prefer my final destination to be somewhere tropical, not a chicken sandwich value meal.
Today, I tried the Popeye's spicy chicken sandwich and it delivered, big time. It featured a perfectly cooked, succulent fried chicken breast topped with a spicy, flavorful sauce. But I wanted more. I wanted to see how the competition stacked up. Unfortunately, I did not have the Chick-Fil-A equivalent to do a little head to head comparison.
Chick-Fil-A, we have been so close many times to turning our courtship into a beautiful, long-term relationship. Whether the rumors were true or not, over the years we have heard you were coming to Latham, there was a rumor of a Troy location which turned out to be a hoax and at one point we thought a location may open in Halfmoon. As other upstate New York locations opened we held out a chicken nugget of hope we would get our own.
But alas, our dreams of a Chick-Fil-A had more holes than your waffle fries. When one finally opened here in the Capital Region, we were ultimately in a pickle. You became oh so close in Albany, but yet so far away past airport security. Our love could have been a strong one, strong as Popeye's spicy chicken sandwich, and the battle for chicken sandwich supremacy could have been a real fight here in the Capital Region.
Is it too late to right this wrong? Only time will tell if and when we finally get easy access to your culinary delights. But unfortunately, the dream of a Capital Region Chick-Fil-A fades with every glorious bite of my next Popeye's chicken sandwich.