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The fried-chicken wars: Inside KFC’s weird new fight to dethrone Chick-fil-A
The Washington Post's Wonkblog ^ | May 25, 2015 | Drew Harwell

Posted on 05/26/2015 5:34:42 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

These are dark days for KFC's once-dominant chicken empire. After five years of crumbling sales, the extra crispy mega-chain, which in 2012 lost its throne as America's top chicken seller to Chick-fil-A, now makes less money than eateries half its size, like Applebee's and Panera Bread.

Now, 75 years after "Colonel" Harland Sanders first served his original recipe at a six-seat dining table in rural Kentucky, the chain is betting $185 million on a massive, bizarre turnaround campaign in hopes of winning a seat again at the fast-food table.

The chain is blasting out TV ads, offering new Southern-style grub and remodeling some of its 4,300 stores with humanized touches, like boards they say will name the regional farm where their chickens came from.

Perhaps KFC's biggest gamble: Reviving the long-dead visage of Colonel Sanders himself, "the brand’s greatest asset," with a handful of increasingly odd "web, broadcast, social media and in-store experiences."(continued)

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Agriculture; Business/Economy; Food; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: chickfila; farming; fastfood; kfc
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It is wrong for white people to propagate negative stereotypes and culturally appropriate by eating fried chicken at KFC.

We should not microagress. Instead, we should be the racist bigot homophobes we are and stick to Chicks. In the name of sensitivity to others.


21 posted on 05/26/2015 5:44:55 PM PDT by Norm Lenhart
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
KFC food is OK...I never had an issue with it...

The people are an issue...same problem as McDonalds, if you get my drift.

I think KFC biggest problem is the fast food has changed and left them behind...

KFC sells buckets of chickens with whole pieces, nobody or very few eat whole chicken pieces out of bucket any more...they eat chicken sandwiches...to go...

Real hard to eat a greasy chicken breast on the go...

I could care less that they post where my chicken leg came from...

22 posted on 05/26/2015 5:44:55 PM PDT by Popman (Christ Alone: My Cornerstone...)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

They should spend all that money on improving the quality of their product.

Kentucky Fried Chicken used to be great although I understand it actually wasn’t fried. KFC varies from awful to fairly good but have not had really good for maybe 30 years or longer.


23 posted on 05/26/2015 5:44:55 PM PDT by yarddog (Romans 8:38-39, For I am persuaded.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

All of the KFCs around here have closed, and Popeye’s has taken its place.

Their strategy doesn’t sound like a winning one in these parts. I much prefer Chick-fil-A sandwiches anyway.


24 posted on 05/26/2015 5:44:59 PM PDT by Shelayne
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Worst mistake they made was getting away from who they are. Offering this grilled nonsense (which sucks) and changing to KFC to avoid the word "fried" was foolish. Nobody expects this kind of food to be healthy. Besides, it should be an indulgence, not a daily staple.

That's the way it was when I was growing up. It was also rare to see 300+ lb people waddling around.

25 posted on 05/26/2015 5:45:32 PM PDT by edpc (Wilby 2016)
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To: manc

Dead on.

KFC will never compete with CFA.

KFC doesn’t have the corporate culture in place. CFA makes certain that their people are customer service experts.

KFC hires those who couldn’t make it at McDonalds.


26 posted on 05/26/2015 5:45:45 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (Make A Donation To Free Republic Today)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; Larry Lucido

Better not let any people in who are wearing hats made of nutria.


27 posted on 05/26/2015 5:45:51 PM PDT by Gamecock (Why do bad things happen to good people? That only happened once, and He volunteered. R.C. Sproul)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Went to the site and watched the videos. What a trifecta. They managed to make Colonel Sanders edgy, retro and creepy all at the same time.


28 posted on 05/26/2015 5:45:53 PM PDT by Poison Pill
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

” ... will name the regional farm where their chickens came from. “


Brilliant. Now I can go see what the chickens looked like before they hit the deep fryer.


29 posted on 05/26/2015 5:45:57 PM PDT by boycott
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Use to be one of my favorite fast food establishments. Then their prices went through the roof and all the franchises in my area started to become filthy, bug infested dumps ...


30 posted on 05/26/2015 5:46:23 PM PDT by doc1019 (Blue lives matter)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If I want chicken on the bone I prefer Popeyes, but KFC Original is OK too. Don’t like the Extra Crispy (too garlicy) or the grilled (too bland). The KFCs that put out a buffet are worth the money, but they are a bit pricey on their individual meals.


31 posted on 05/26/2015 5:46:25 PM PDT by Some Fat Guy in L.A. (Still bitterly clinging to rational thought despite it's unfashionability)
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To: PapaBear3625

No. Their problem is that their frying grease is low quality now, they don’t change the grease often enough, and then they leave the food sitting too long if it hasn’t sold.

They have completely abandoned what made them.


32 posted on 05/26/2015 5:47:57 PM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: dila813

They are too expensive and their chicken isn’t as crispy.


They’re very inconsistent. One day it may be okay but the next time it may be slop.

Popeyes and Bojangles are much better than KFC.


33 posted on 05/26/2015 5:48:18 PM PDT by boycott
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To: manc

My local supermarket offers a bag of fried chicken which is better than KFC, plus the supermarket is on my way home from work.


34 posted on 05/26/2015 5:48:29 PM PDT by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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To: PrairieLady2

It will be the greatest chicken sandwich you will have ever consumed.


35 posted on 05/26/2015 5:48:50 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: PapaBear3625

I hear ya. KFC is more ghetto’ while CFA is more Freerepublic friendly. The only reason why I go to KFC is for the gravy anyways.

But you will never get me to Popeye’s on tuesdays, even if a certain Freeper is a large shareholder of the company. Tuesdays is $2 days and you will be the only non-Trayvon in line. I’ve witnessed fistfights, yelling matches and hard stares from the homeys.


36 posted on 05/26/2015 5:49:02 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company last election, and I laughed while they cried (true story))
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To: Ouderkirk

Once upon a time the local Kentucky Fried used to have distinguishable pieces of chicken...thigh, leg, breast, wing.....did I mention breast?

Now they’re just like Popeye’s, and Church’s...hunks of white, and dark meat. Their counter staff ain’t worth a damned anymore.


37 posted on 05/26/2015 5:49:41 PM PDT by SgtBob (Freedom is not for the faint of heart. Semper Fi!)
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To: PrairieLady2
I’ve never eaten at chick Fil-A. Now that I can get around independently, I’ll have to hunt down the local one, and see how it tastes.

You will not be disappointed.

38 posted on 05/26/2015 5:50:16 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Chick-fil-A has really good food and friendly, polite and fast service.


39 posted on 05/26/2015 5:50:27 PM PDT by Proud2BeRight
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Only once have I eaten at Chick-fil-a, and while the food was good the serving was very, very skimpy. I’m a light eater, but I was still hungry after my lunch. But I will say at least the food was edible, unlike so many fast food places.

For that kind of grub I like Wendy’s best, their chili can’t be beat. And the kid has always maintained that their chicken nuggets are the best. Another good item is the fish sandwich at Burger King. I think one thing about that is they don’t sell too many of them so the one you get is freshly cooked.

And I used to like KFC a good deal, biscuits, excellent, mashed potatoes and gravy very good. But the last few times we got it the chicken was kind of bad.


40 posted on 05/26/2015 5:51:04 PM PDT by jocon307
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