Long John Silver’s is putting chicken on center stage.
The seafood chain is swapping its classic fish logo for a chicken, along with a “Chicken + Seafood” tagline right below it. The redesign was rolled out across digital platforms and will be unveiled on the Long John Silver’s Front Row Motorsports car during an upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race. In the next few months, Long John Silver’s will launch the branding across other properties and materials.
Long John Silver’s old logo:
Long John Silver’s new logo:
The company currently offers hand-battered chicken strips, also known as Chicken Planks. Additionally, chicken is part of the brand’s $6 Basket lineup, which comprises two tenders, a side, and two hushpuppies. Long John Silver’s also noted that it’s tested Nashville Hot Chicken and Chicken Wraps at its flagship location in Louisville, Kentucky. The brand characterized feedback as “overwhelmingly positive.”
“The refreshed design is an important addition to the Long John Silver’s branding, and will be used moving forward to highlight our chicken offerings,” Long John Silver’s said via email. “We believe that the new icon and corresponding ‘CHICKEN + SEAFOOD’ lockup accurately reflect the breadth of our full menu, which includes both crispy, tender chicken and delicious, mouthwatering seafood.”
The move comes as chicken continues to gain popularity across the country. The biggest brands in the industry have taken notice. McDonald’s last year launched the Chicken Big Mac for a limited time and followed that up with new chicken strips and the return of the Snack Wrap. KFC created Saucy, a new spinoff focused on chicken tenders and a variety of sauces. Taco Bell has its own Crispy Chicken platform, and Wendy’s recently released its take on chicken tenders as well.
Long John Silver’s hopes to take advantage of that momentum. The brand ended 2024 with 485 locations after losing a net of 34 restaurants. The brand had nearly 1,100 stores nationwide in 2007, per the QSR 50, but unit count has fallen precipitously since then. It opened only three locations over the past three years (two in 2024 and one in 2022).
“This brand was built on making the coastal experience accessible to everyone, so seafood will always be part of our DNA,” Christopher Caudill, Long John Silver’s senior vice president of marketing and innovation, said in a statement. “But chicken is also part of our heritage—and a big part of our future—so it deserves its rightful place on our logo, our menu, and our guests’ tables.”
