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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: usconservative

I thought it was Bill Pullman playing the Colonel!


121 posted on 05/26/2015 9:29:01 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: manc

A couple of days ago, my friend found a bug in her chicken from our local KFC. I haven’t eaten there in a couple of years, because I have heard several disgusting stories; some from former employees.


122 posted on 05/26/2015 9:49:14 PM PDT by CrimsonTidegirl
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

All fried chicken pales in comparison to that from Babe’s Chicken Dinner House in Texas. Better than Grandma’s.


123 posted on 05/26/2015 9:54:32 PM PDT by manic4organic (It was nice knowing you, America.)
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To: manic4organic

I like Babe’s and live 20 minutes from the original location, but Belle’s Chicken Dinner House in Abilene is even better.


124 posted on 05/26/2015 9:58:07 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://donate.tedcruz.org/c/FBTX0095/)
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To: dforest
KFC is absolutely awful chicken. Reviving a fake Colonel Sanders cant’t make a dent in Chick-Fil-A. We don’t usually eat fast food stuff, but my hubby brought some KFC home a while back. it was so awful we threw it in the trash can. All of it!

Never eat at fast food restaurants and throw food into the trash. You've got a comeuppance coming.

125 posted on 05/26/2015 10:11:26 PM PDT by Partisan Gunslinger
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Chic-fil-A donates to all of the schools and church groups in the area. Their employees are friendly and helpful. Their stores are clean. Their service is fast, even with huge lines. Their food is good. They rarely mess up orders, but smile and fix them if they do. They close on Sundays, but are open pretty late in the evening the other days. They welcome families and have events for children. Our kids love it when the cow is there. They have free wifi.

KFC is literally none of the above. Really easy decision to make every time we drive past KFC to get to the Chic-fil-A.


126 posted on 05/26/2015 11:00:39 PM PDT by mountainbunny (Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens ~ J.R.R. Tolkien)
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To: PapaBear3625
"...Kentucky Friend Chicken’s problem is that a lot of people associate it with a ghetto customer base..."

True, but my family now associates it with ghetto customer employees too. The last few times I was in there I felt unsure about my physical safety from all angles.

I won't take my daughter there ever again.

Like McDonalds', KFC no longer seeks the white dollar. They explicitly advertise to, and seek out, nonwhite customers as their base. And that's great, but my family comes first, so never again can we patronize them.

127 posted on 05/27/2015 7:58:00 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (B.L.O.A.T. : Buy Lots Of Ammo Today)
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To: smalltownslick
"To the best of my knowledge, KfC still uses Tyson chicken..."

You mean the Tyson that fired all the Americans and imported thousands of Mexicans to replace them?

I was in AR near Tyson plants. We were touristing in the Ouchita Mtns at a beautiful lake. Suddenly, 40 illegal aliens swarm in and take over the place, with open hostility towards the fewer-in-number white people. We left. I have a family to protect.

It was only later that it dawned on me: These were Tyson illegals. Damn Tyson to hell for what they did to that area and to the Americans they discarded.

128 posted on 05/27/2015 8:07:18 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (B.L.O.A.T. : Buy Lots Of Ammo Today)
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To: T-Bone Texan

Ii was thinking of the Shelbyville, TN plant where they fired the illegals and replaced them with Somalians. Who immediately started making demands. (Wanted a Muslim holiday instead of Labor Day) Call me paranoid, but I think it prudent not to want my food processed by people who hate us. And Tyson makes bacon now - think how that must go over with them.


129 posted on 05/27/2015 8:14:11 AM PDT by smalltownslick
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To: jocon307
That requires the posting of this picture:

From China.

130 posted on 05/27/2015 8:29:24 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The new Colonel Sanders is a fake phony, fraud. Now get odd my phone you bum.


131 posted on 05/27/2015 8:32:09 AM PDT by McGruff (What did Hillary know and when did she know it?)
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To: angry elephant

Churches was pretty good many moons ago. Then the Saudis bought them, and took all the pork fat out of the equation. Not so good any more.


132 posted on 05/27/2015 8:40:17 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

last and final time i tried KFC i could not finish the meal
i think they must get their frying grease from the jiffy lube next door.... and change it on a yearly basis
NO QUALITY CONTROL
SHEETY WORKERS
UNHEALTHLY ENVIRONMENT
exactly how to go out of business


133 posted on 05/27/2015 9:56:26 AM PDT by zzwhale
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

i saw the colobel one time walking through an airport in his white suit accompanied by two platinum blondes one on each arm dressed in sprayed on white skirts....... great taste in chicks.......


134 posted on 05/27/2015 9:58:55 AM PDT by zzwhale
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To: FreedomPoster

LOL! that’s hilarious!


135 posted on 05/27/2015 10:29:44 AM PDT by jocon307
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To: Proud2BeRight
Chick-fil-A has really good food and friendly, polite and fast service.

Yes, but their cows can't spell too well.

136 posted on 05/27/2015 4:38:28 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: Proud2BeRight
Chick-fil-A has really good food and friendly, polite and fast service.

Yes, but their cows can't spell too well.

137 posted on 05/27/2015 4:38:28 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: Jack Hydrazine
I thought it was Bill Pullman playing the Colonel!

LOL!!! Can hear it now ... "GAME OVER MAN!! We lost the chicken war!"

138 posted on 05/27/2015 5:05:12 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: usconservative

You’re thinking of Bill Paxton!

ROFLMAO!

Bill Pullman played Lonestar from the Mel Brooks movie, “Spaceballs.”

Now what would Bill Pullman say?


139 posted on 05/27/2015 7:43:37 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: Jack Hydrazine
Hmmm. Not sure why but I thought ....

Oh nevermind. LOL!!!!!

140 posted on 05/28/2015 6:28:12 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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