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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

Here in Washington state north of Seattle all we have is KFC. North of Seattle is where lots of UW graduate libtards live mostly upper middle class.

The Popeye’s are in the southern more ghetto ish area and there is no Church’s up here, either. So if not home-fried, KFC is the only option. There are no Chick Filas in the state as far as I know.


81 posted on 05/26/2015 6:49:40 PM PDT by angry elephant (Endangered species in Seattle)
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To: Chickensoup

Broasterant?


82 posted on 05/26/2015 6:50:02 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://donate.tedcruz.org/c/FBTX0095/)
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To: Fiji Hill

“Out here in Southern California, the Chicken Dinner Restaurant at Knott’s Berry Farm, an amusement park, offers a take-out version of their fried chicken which is far better than KFC, but the price is almost double. My mother worked there as a waitress in 1941-42 (when it was still a berry farm), and if you ate there in the 1950’s, your chicken might have come from my uncle’s ranch, located where Disneyland now stands, or from its later location in Olive Heights.”

Knotts was cheap entertainment for my family. Before they charged admission, a family could go and let the kids play on wagons, listen to live music, then have moderately priced family meals. Fill up on rolls and jams. I seem to recall a back annex to the Chicken Restaurant, with a limited lower priced menu.

Or maybe they just took us in and out the back entrance, since we were a line of noisy little boys.


83 posted on 05/26/2015 6:50:48 PM PDT by truth_seeker
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

You haven’t had chicken until you eat at a Chick-A-Dilly.
Get a heaping basket of fried chicken livers.


84 posted on 05/26/2015 6:51:58 PM PDT by fulltlt
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To: yarddog

***KFC varies from awful to fairly good***

How true! I bought some KFC near here not long ago and it was horrible!
While visiting friends forty miles from here they bought their local KFC and it was great!


85 posted on 05/26/2015 6:53:09 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: catnipman

We are becoming “Portlandia”

I’ll have to admit to not being familiar with “Portlandia.” I believe it will be worth me checking it out.


86 posted on 05/26/2015 6:54:31 PM PDT by boycott
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To: boycott

Of the big three near here, KFC is worst. Popeyes is good but very salty, Churches is good but not salty enough.


87 posted on 05/26/2015 6:56:20 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: manc

And this time of year they have fresh peach shakes. Fortunately for my waistline they don’t offer them all year long!


88 posted on 05/26/2015 6:56:54 PM PDT by Grams A (The Sun will rise in the East in the morning and God is still on his throne.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I met and sat for awhile with Col. Sanders back in 1979 at Lincoln Memorial University and talked with him. He was just sitting at the center of the park on a bench just watching students change classes. He was a very congenial and seemed to really care about the questions of which he asked me. I have to say it was quite a memorable time.

So, every time I go and eat at KFC I remember the visit I had with him. Col. Sanders died the next year I believe.

89 posted on 05/26/2015 6:58:40 PM PDT by vetvetdoug
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I don’t know, they were by the Elevated track in Hartford on the left as you went uphill to Asylum and Farmington Ave

When I was young those take out dinners were real treats, once or twice a year to eat as we watched Twentieth Century and then the Wonderful World of Disney then Ed Sullivan.


90 posted on 05/26/2015 7:00:09 PM PDT by Chickensoup (Leftist totalitarian fascism is on the move.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The KFC in my area is overpriced,not very clean,the staff is rude, and their food really doesn't taste very good.I gave up on them.

ChikFilA is ok, clean, great staff,but not a great menu.

The hands down winner for a decent chicken sandwich is Wendy's.
They also beat all the other local burger joints in taste, service and food quality.

Full disclosure-I prefer my chicken spiced and baked to perfection at home, and only buy the boneless skinless Murray's brand, or go without.

91 posted on 05/26/2015 7:11:48 PM PDT by sarasmom
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I gotta toss in a vote for Lee’s. It’s the only one that still serves, gizzards.


92 posted on 05/26/2015 7:20:15 PM PDT by bleach (If I agreed with you, we would both be wrong.)
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To: boycott
Portlandia is hysterical. The Feminist Bookstore skits will make you laugh so hard you'll pee your pants.

I'm a fan. Put. A. Bird. On. It.

93 posted on 05/26/2015 7:21:06 PM PDT by ponygirl (Put. A. Bird. On. It.)
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To: max americana

KFC slaw is the best part of their menu, IMHO.


94 posted on 05/26/2015 7:21:19 PM PDT by TurboZamboni (Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.-JFK)
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To: Ouderkirk

A LONG time ago Kentucky Fried Chicken served the biggest, meatiest, juiciest chicken you can imagine, and the breading was so delicious as to be sublime. I can still remember the experience of biting into every piece.

It has to be more than 30 years since they started serving skimpy, greasy and uninspiring food.


95 posted on 05/26/2015 7:29:17 PM PDT by Williams
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To: ponygirl

I watched another one of the skits and realized I am going to have to watch all of it.

Thanks for putting me on to it. It should be fun to watch.


96 posted on 05/26/2015 7:32:11 PM PDT by boycott
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To: smalltownslick
How can anything ever be too garlicky???


97 posted on 05/26/2015 7:34:08 PM PDT by BlueDragon
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

My favorites are Popeyes and Bpjangles. The biscuits are usually the best part.

Popeyes can be a bit salty. I find all these type places to be a bit inconsistent. I know a guy that used to manage one of these restaurants. He said a lot of it depends on when you order. If you order at like 3:30, it’s likely the chicken as been sitting around for a while. They may not have cooked in a few hours. By then it’s usually a bit soggy. He said to wait until after 5:30 when you know they’re cooking again.


98 posted on 05/26/2015 7:37:23 PM PDT by boycott
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To: TurboZamboni

Oh yeah I forgot the old time KFC gravy was incredible. My God dipping the chicken in it was good! People always ordered extra gravy.


99 posted on 05/26/2015 7:40:18 PM PDT by Williams
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To: bleach

When we were kids, there were 5 of us, everyone had their piece. I got a drumstick and the gizzard. Mother would always just take what was left.

I think I like the breast/pully bone best now.


100 posted on 05/26/2015 7:40:51 PM PDT by yarddog (Romans 8:38-39, For I am persuaded.)
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