Arby's gives fish sandwich a limited menu run, trolling its competition as fast-food wars heat up

Step aside chicken sandwich wars: Fish sandwiches are the latest weapon in a heavyweight battle among fast food chains.

For a limited time, Arby's will sell a Crispy Fish Sandwich, which retails for $2.99 and King’s Hawaiian Fish Deluxe with a retail price of $3.99 (both prices may vary based on location). The sandwich will be available from now until March 29th.

During this weekend's Saturday Night Live episode, Arby's unveiled a cheeky ad designed in part to tweak competitors like McDonald's (MCD) and Popeye's (QSR), which earlier this month added a Cajun Flounder Sandwich as a follow-up to wildly successful chicken sandwich. In addition to Wendy's (WEN) recently debuted a Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich, replacing its traditional cod version.

(Courtesy: Arby's)

Normally known for its beef sandwiches, Arby's announced that consumers "who have ever settled for a disappointing fast-food fish sandwich" now have an opportunity to try their limited-edition fish sandwiches — for free. For those not lucky enough to score a check, Arby's is also offering a grand check prize of $379 until March 12th.

Consumers can head to the website ArbysFishCheck.com to claim a check, each for $3.79, which is the average menu price of quick-service-restaurant fish sandwiches — but only "while the vault’s still open."

“For anyone who has had second thoughts about eating a square-fish sandwich, it’s time for a fish ‘do-over,’ Arby’s chief marketing officer Patrick Schwing told Yahoo Finance — taking a pointed swipe at the Golden Arches' Filet-O-Fish, a perennial menu favorite.

"That’s why we’re mailing out thousands of checks to try an Arby’s Crispy Fish Sandwich, as our fish sandwiches featuring wild-caught Alaskan Pollock continue to be one of our guests’ favorite seasonal menu offerings," Schwing added.

Brooke DiPalma is a producer and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma.

READ MORE:

• Popeyes unveils Cajun Flounder as a follow-up to wildly successful chicken sandwich

• Taco Bell unveils chicken sandwich taco, joining burger giants in widening poultry war

• Data: Foot traffic at Domino’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut tumble by more than half during COVID-19

• Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Oatly: The alternative food brands that defined COVID-19 era eating

Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit.