When Wienerschnitzel recently added chicken to its menu, it wanted to do something more creative than “just bring in a chicken sandwich that you can get anywhere.”

That’s according to Doug Koegeboehn, the chain’s chief marketing officer who came up with a new item that’s a little different from its fast food competitors but uses ingredients it already had on hand.

The result is Bird Dogs, based on a regional favorite in South Carolina.

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“We’re always looking for unique things we can bring into the menu,” Koegeboehn said in a phone interview. “And I was reading a Southern Living article. And it talked about all the greatest dishes from all the states in the South. And all of a sudden you get to South Carolina, and South Carolina’s got these things called Bird Dogs. I’m like, what? Are you serious?”

Bird Dogs are chicken tenders served in a hot dog bun with a variety of toppings.

Wienerschnitzel is offering three: Bacon Ranch, Buffalo Ranch and BBQ. They cost around $4.49 each.

Research and development went smoothly for the Newport Beach-based chain, Koegeboehn said.

“The biggest thing we had to do in development was sample and make sure we found the perfect tender. We tried probably 50 different tenders from 50 different manufacturers.”

Founded in 1961, Wienerschnitzel is known for its hot dogs, particularly its signature Chili Cheese Dogs. But Koegeboehn said the brand is about more than that.

“If you look at our menu over the years it’s always been American food: chili dogs, chili, cheese fries, burgers, soft-serve.”

Wienerschnitzel is currently celebrating fair food with a cotton candy shake and dipped soft serve cone. In August, it will be serving funnel cake, according to Koegeboehn.

Information: wienerschnitzel.com