'[Slim Chickens is putting a Dr Pepper spin on its signature hand-breaded chicken, launching Dr Pepper Blasted Tenders, Tender Bites and Wings at all 300-plus domestic locations beginning September 14 through November 16 — at no additional charge to the guest.

How the LTO Works

Dr Pepper Blasted is a proprietary dry-seasoning blend, not a sauce or marinade. The rub is applied by hand after the chicken exits the fryer, adhering directly to the hand-breaded coating to deliver what Keurig Dr Pepper describes as the soda's 23-flavor profile in every bite. The approach preserves the crisp texture Slim Chickens guests expect while layering a sweet-savory finish that differentiates the item from standard sauce-dipped options.

"We don't add flavors to our tenders lightly — tenders and sauce are the whole reason people know us," said Patrick Noone, chief marketing officer at Slim Chickens. "Dr Pepper Blasted cleared that bar. It is bold, it is unmistakable, and the only place in the country you can get it is at Slim Chickens."

Football Season Timing

The September 14 launch is intentional. Slim Chickens was founded in Fayetteville, Arkansas — a college-football market — and the brand is leaning into gameday consumption occasions for the roughly nine-week run. Trish Riddle, Senior Vice President of Foodservice at Keurig Dr Pepper, called the collaboration a natural fit for tailgates and watch parties, framing it as a vehicle to bring Dr Pepper's flavor identity into a foodservice setting where dispensed beverage already drives attachment.

For c-store operators tracking QSR-at-cstore competition, the LTO illustrates how fast-casual chicken chains continue to use beverage brand partnerships to build menu urgency and frequency — the same playbook convenience retailers deploy when bundling fountain drinks with roller-grill or grab-and-go chicken programs. Limited-time, no-upcharge items like this one can compress the decision window and lift check averages through add-on beverage attachment rather than price increases.

Slim Chickens' Growth Context

The Fayetteville-based chain now operates in 34 U.S. states and holds international locations in the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey and Malaysia, with a stated goal of reaching 600-plus restaurants over the next decade. The Dr Pepper Blasted launch fits the brand's "Whatcha Pickin'?" customization platform, adding a seasonally relevant choice across the three highest-velocity SKUs — tenders, bites and wings — without requiring back-of-house equipment changes.

For foodservice program buyers and c-store category managers watching the better-chicken segment, the Slim Chickens–Keurig Dr Pepper tie-up signals continued interest from major beverage manufacturers in co-branded limited-time offers that link soda equity to protein-forward menus — a trend worth tracking as chicken remains the top-performing center-of-plate protein in convenience foodservice.']

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.