Domino's has unveiled its latest creation, after years of success from pasta bread bowls and pan-baked pizzas: the Specialty Chicken.
The delivery pizza giant released plans for the new product on Monday, according to Domino's CEO J. Patrick Doyle.
"We're doing something with chicken that no one else is doing," Doyle said during a phone interview with USA Today this week. "We look at this is an opportunity to do chicken with a twist."
The Specialty features toppings like crispy bacon and spicy jalapeno-pineapple on a bed of "12 bites of lightly breaded, 100 percent whole breast white meat chicken," a statement from Domino's read.
According to Doyle, it's important for a pizza company to remain on the cutting edge of pie trends, and to stray from traditional recipes. Domino's made its first foray into tangential offerings with pizza-esque baked sandwiches and cheese-based breads. But as Millennial customers progressively demanded alternative options, the pizza players were forced to think outside the confines of a doughy crust.
Research specialist NPD Group noted that restaurant sales for chicken have been steadily increasing in the recent past. Boneless chicken sales have flourished specifically - the organization reported an 11 percent rise since 2011.
Doyle said Domino's already sells chicken more than any of its other merchandise, pizza included. The most important aspect of Domino's Specialty Chicken? Consumers can use the same pizza topping choices on chicken.
The delivery kingpin is offering Specialty Chicken in Classic Hot Buffalo, Sweet BBQ Bacon, Spicy Jalapeno & Pineapple and Crispy Bacon & Tomato to start, but Doyle said these flavorways could expand in the future.
But not everyone backs the new push - restaurant research firm Technomic's vice president told USA Today that this fresh offering could end up flopping.
"Every time a pizza chain tries to diversify, it usually doesn't work so well," Bob Goldin said.
Still, Doyle is hopeful that customers will be open to the new products.
"Specialty Chicken shows we are not afraid to step out of our comfort zone and take risks - something that is truly part of our brand fabric," Doyle told CBS.
