I shall take a break from the Seattle lovefest to alert everyone to the good news – KFC is dead. After 14 years of striving to change their image as an unhealthy fried chicken outlet to a hip, nameless chicken outlet, Kentucky Fried Chicken are going back to their roots. Their latest store, opened in Louisville, Kentucky yesterday, arose under the “Kentucky Fried Chicken” moniker with a revamped menu. CNN reports “in addition to using the “Kentucky Fried Chicken” name, the new Louisville restaurant has a free digital jukebox, low-set tables with ottomans and features a younger, apron-clad image of the chain’s founder, Colonel Sanders. The menu also has been completely revamped to include bowls of chicken and mashed potatoes or chicken and rice, sausage bowls, collard greens, buttermilk popcorn shrimp and sweet potato pie — items not usually associated with fast food.” 50 more stores are expected to open in similar style this year.
I always found the KFC idea hilarious. The best part, for me, was when their efforts to come across as a healthier alternative was dampened by the rumour that they had been legally forced to remove the word “chicken” from their name because they used artificially produced “chicken” from test tubes made in giant labs. Not exactly the result they were looking for. Let’s hope the new southern style menu does better for them than it did for Kenny Rogers.
Cheers!