"This chicken-focused chain—well known for its tight, chicken-centric menu and also for generating political controversy—has been studying vegan and plant-based options for several years. According to the chain's menu executive, Amanda Norris, the company typically spends 18 to 24 months researching, testing, and rolling out new products, so changes take time. The brand says it is moving from merely watching market developments into actively understanding and imagining alternatives, and is considering options that go beyond simply removing meat from salads or wraps—potentially an alternative protein used on a sandwich—so a meatless take on its signature fried-chicken sandwich could appear within a year or two." - Jenny G. Zhang