Current Events > KFC used to easily be the biggest fried chicken restaurant chain in the world...

(+) Yeah! (+)

Trying KFC in Vietnam and Japan made me wonder wtf KFC in the US is so crappy. Did KFC just willingly go to shit here, surrender market share here to literally everyone else, to focus on the rest of the world?

Seema stupid to me. Once Popeyes goes truly global, KFC won't stand a chance.

Xenogears15 posted...

Trying KFC in Vietnam and Japan made me wonder wtf KFC in the US is so crappy. Did KFC just willingly go to shit here, surrender market share here to literally everyone else, to focus on the rest of the world?

Seema stupid to me. Once Popeyes goes truly global, KFC won't stand a chance.

KFC in Vietnam is not good.

Glob posted...

KFC in Vietnam is not good.

Better than here in the US, though.

Xenogears15 posted...

Better than here in the US, though.

Maybe so. Never had it in the U.S.

If its better here than in the U.S. though, it just be fucking terrible there.

Around the world, KFC actually innovates better. They actually try new menu items and do different things. But in the US it seems like KFC's strategy is really just to double down (no pun intended) on the big family meals, rather than creating actually decent menu items that you'd want to eat as an individual.

I have to say, I actually really liked the grilled chicken. If you ordered the grilled chicken with some sweet corn and a biscuit, it was a really good meal, and also relatively healthy.

Dat_Cracka_Jax posted...

I used to love KFC. I haven't had it in years though. The closest one to me had shitty service and was always out of something (and this was well pre pandemic). Once they claimed to be out of chicken.

Haven't even tried to go to one in probably ten years

You should see the reviews of my local KFC. Same problem, shit service, out of chicken etc.. I haven't been there myself but had an itch for them a while back and decided not to go after seeing the reviews.

US has trash food standards. To get 90s quality KFC, you have to go to fucking Japan.

Difficult to find one as well. The time it takes me to drive to my closest one I could hit one of three separate Popeyes instead.

Naves7 posted...

You should see the reviews of my local KFC. Same problem, shit service, out of chicken etc.. I haven't been there myself but had an itch for them a while back and decided not to go after seeing the reviews.

Not sure if mine has ever run out of chicken, cause I haven't been there in a long, long while, but yeah quality definitely sucks. We have a more Midwestern chicken place, Lees, that is so much better it's unreal.

internationally (the world), it still is

Seriously though why did they get rid of the wedges

Also this thread ironically makes me want kfc

Chicken posted...

We brought the colonel down. We come for the sailor man next.

Pretty much. I don't think people realize that the State of Kentucky caused so much strife with Colonel Sanders. He wanted to market his chicken to a bigger audience and they wouldn't let him, so he left the States and moved to Canada, and then moved to England. His original recipe is sold by a European company now. KFC and their standards at least where I live in Eastern Canada is so low that its embarrassing. Thankfully we have Mary Browns which is our version of Popeyes.

Guide posted...

US has trash food standards. To get 90s quality KFC, you have to go to fucking Japan.

So it's actually real chicken?

I actually had some KFC last night. It was good. Also their coupons are still worth a damn I saved 12 dollars off a twelve piece meal. Maybe it varies by restaurant because I have had some mediocre chicken from there at times, but this one just has high franchise standards unlike the Madden games now.

Toonstrack posted...

KFCs still hits on occasion

Them changing their potato wedges was an awful awful decision

this. one of their main appeals to me were the potato wedges.

Eating leftover KFC now still solid. Even the skin.

Chicken posted...

We brought the colonel down. We come for the sailor man next.

Bawk bawk!!!

KFC's domestic market is based entirely on franchises. The problem with franchises is that the quality is determined entirely by the owner of that location. KFC has no say over that owner other than refusing to renew their contract. An owner can even refuse to run a special or to carry an item that Yum Brands is promoting.

All the foreign locations are owned and run by KFC directly. The manager that runs a location is a KFC employee. As a result, KFC has total control over food quality, cleanliness, and quality of service.

brestugo posted...

Just shows how deep the idiocy goes in this country. A global chicken joint....ran out of chicken.

Dude it's so dumb. The Chipotle by me is CONSTANTLY out of what you would think to be essential ingredients for burritos...
I'm sorry what? Did you just say you don't have TORTILLAS or CHEESE today??

Dey must have changed da recipe for everything cause i used to love dem, but popeyes is vastly superior as is publix chicken

BB_mofo posted...

KFC's domestic market is based entirely on franchises.

All the foreign locations are owned and run by KFC directly. The manager that runs a location is a KFC employee. As a result, KFC has total control over food quality, cleanliness, and quality of service.

I'll believe ya on the foreign locations but I also just want to make some South Park jokes. But a badly run franchise or two can taint the brand as a whole but when you expand so much, hard to visit them all I guess lmao this one local KFC I go to is good though I only go a couple times a year because it requires vehicle transportation.

KFC has just been coasting on name recognition for a long, long, long time. Their food isn't good.

Theres not a popeyes anywhere near here.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Oh, great clip. Have never seen that movie. Probably should. What yr was it?

I used to love the Popcorn Chicken.

I haven't gone there since they got rid of that, but also there were at least 2 KFC's near me that are now gone since that time

it's still way more popular in michigan than chic-fil-a or popeyes but those 2 are getting more restaurants around while i haven't seen a new kfc open that i know of. kfc are just the ones that been around since i was a kid in the 90s.

their quality of everything just seems to get worse each year. noticed it a couple years ago with the chicken tenders and i got some that were like all cartilage. even the ones that weren't just weren't good like they used to be. they're not even crispy anymore. same with all their normal chicken. it's all cheap quality and i barely even bother going anymore.

chic-fil-a is the only one close enough i can really go to. popeyes i only had once and wish they had one closer.

For my KFCs, I have never seen them run out of anything and generally have good service. My Popeyes are the opposite. They still run out of chicken sandwiches fairly frequently, and they always seem to be understaffed. I've had multiple times when they so few people come in that they closed the dining room, and processed maybe 1 car every 2 minutes at the drivethrough.

Popeyes does have a little better chicken though, but it's not worth the uncertainty for me anymore.

Mad-Dogg posted...

Yeah I did actually like that georgia gold one.

I am ashamed to admit it, but the double down is probably my favorite thing they ever made. Every time I got it, it was a juicy chicken breast that had that good ratio of breading to meat.

Its for the best the double down stays a limited time thing......I really do believe a lot of people will kill themselves with that kind of unchecked power.

In Australia, we have the Zinger Stacker burger all year round:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/1/7/AAbh80AAE2YV.jpg https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/1/8/AAbh80AAE2YW.jpg

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Popeyes chicken is fuckin awesome!

I bet KFC is still bigger worldwide because of countries like Japan.

KFC was steadily declining in the UK (well, where I am anyway), but they dosedived completely when they brought in those new shitty chips. The 'skin on' chips or whatever, they were fucking rank.

Anyway it's a lottery whether you'll get a decent burger or not if you go there now.

Burger King is another one that's dropped out of appeal, they've priced themselves out of the market tbh, it is just so expensive that people would rather hit McDonald's.

I still like KFC tbh

jcmason posted...

KFC quality tanked like 20+ years ago

This.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/9/2/AAEhCpAAE2Zg.jpg

I'm going to go to KFC tomorrow to give it a try. Honestly their menu items aren't *bad* but they're just not as good as they are overseas. KFC overseas still innovates - they try new things such as new menu items, new deals, new promos...

But here in the US it seems like KFC just relies on the original recipe chicken and big value buckets. They've tried some new menu items *but* they kill them even though they're actually pretty popular. If they want to regain some market share...they'll have to do something other than "Hey we sell a ton of food for $20", and it probably starts with coming up with some better menu items and recipes.

One thing that I really like from them? They have this "KFC sauce" that you can dip your tenders in that is actually pretty good. But their tenders aren't well-seasoned enough. The KFC that I pass on the way back from work *did* recently get a big facelift - they remodeled the store and everything. It actually looks nice now...just need the food to match it.

I'm eating kfc tonight actually. Will give a update in whether it's ass or not.

jcmason posted...

KFC quality tanked like 20+ years ago, so Chick Filet, Church's, Popeyes, etc could fill up the market with even moderately palatable food.

Yeah, even the Colonel, himself, complained about the quality of the chicken before he died. He thought they were cheaping out on the ingredients.

The decline began when they decided to identify as "KFC". Never hide what you are.

jsb0714 posted...

The decline began when they decided to identify as "KFC". Never hide what you are.

They all have ga ran Kentucky written on them over here as well, so they arent exactly hiding it.