Kentucky Fried Chicken

Link Time

Yummy Links: The Food World Digests KFC's Double Down

  • The sandwich could very well be the new "it" hangover food. — Slashfood
  • Yes, you will feel fat while eating it. — Always Hungry
  • Well, how does it taste? Incredibly salty and slimy. — Salon
  • NYT restaurant critic Sam Sifton waited patiently in line (behind seven people) for his Double Down. — Diner's Journal
  • Instead of warning against it being hot, maybe the wrapper should say, Warning: Slippery. — Serious Eats
  • Even Kathie Lee and Hoda tried it on The Today Show. — Feast
  • It's easier to eat with buns.— Eater
News

KFC Lights Up Markets With Branded Fire Hydrants

Looks like KFC isn't ready to give up its moment in the spotlight just yet.

Looks like KFC isn't ready to give up its moment in the spotlight just yet. It's switching its marketing game plan and replacing pitches on potholes with flyers on fire hydrants.

To get the word out about the new Fiery Grilled Wings, KFC is giving two cities in Indiana, Brazil and Indianapolis, $7,500 so local officials can improve their cities' fire safety — and emblaze Colonel Sanders's face onto their hydrants and fire extinguishers. In return for the advertisements, the fast food company will help the two cities pay for new extinguishers and hydrants.

Since I don't know all the details, I'm rather ambivalent about the arrangement. For instance: Is the signage permanent? Does it help the city's taxpayers? I suppose it's no different from selling space on public transit, but I'm awed by the way companies continue to find new places to stick their logos. How do you feel about it?

Source: KFC and Flickr User zoezulka

News

KFC Closing Stores For a Good Cause

Is KFC trying to make amends for the Double Down, its infamous sandwich made with chicken patties instead of bread?

Is KFC trying to make amends for the Double Down, its infamous sandwich made with chicken patties instead of bread? The chicken chain is taking a break from inventing indulgent new foods to fight hunger, starting next Tuesday. Over the next few weeks, KFC will temporarily close more than 15,000 locations during the lunch rush and convert them into "World Hunger Relief Kitchens."

The kitchens will serve free grilled chicken meals to needy families while also raising awareness with charitable food drives and car washes at the shuttered stores. Fighting hunger is a pet cause of parent company Yum Brands, which launched a World Hunger Relief fund in 2007. Though there is some irony to KFC giving away free grilled chicken while it's being sued for grilled chicken, I can definitely get behind this good cause.

What do you think about the store closings: publicity stunt or sincere do-gooding?

News

KFC Being Sued Over Kentucky Grilled Chicken

KFC's Kentucky Grilled Chicken made quite the headlines when it first hit the market — and the media attention doesn't look like it's about to stop.

KFC's Kentucky Grilled Chicken made quite the headlines when it first hit the market — and the media attention doesn't look like it's about to stop. Yesterday vegetarian advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, or PCRM, announced its plans to sue KFC, alleging the chain failed to warn customers that its grilled chicken contains a carcinogen.The cancer-causing compound in question? PhIP, an amino that can be found in grilled meat. PCRM says it submitted samples to an independent lab that confirmed the presence of the carcinogenic compound in all pieces.

The suit follows a similar 2008 PCRM case against McDonald's, Burger King, Chick fil-A, Chili's, Applebee's, Outback Steakhouse, and TGI Friday's. Burger King, the only chain that wound up settling with the advocacy group, now posts signs inside its California locations warning against the possible presence of PhIP.

Do you believe these findings? Are they enough to deter you from eating Kentucky Grilled Chicken?

Source

Quiz

What Do You Know About KFC?

As if you needed an excuse to enjoy deep-fried thighs and drumsticks, yesterday was National Fried Chicken Day!

As if you needed an excuse to enjoy deep-fried thighs and drumsticks, yesterday was National Fried Chicken Day! To honor America's favorite poultry preparation — which is served at breakfast with waffles, at picnics with coleslaw, or just straight out of a paper bucket — I thought I'd test your familiarity with America's most famed fried chicken outfit, Kentucky Fried Chicken. What do you know about KFC — besides the fact that it's finger-lickin' good? Take our quiz to find out.

Photo by Brent and MariLynn

Take the Quiz
News

KFC Looking For Grilled Chicken Spokesperson

With the recent debut and scandal — involving Oprah's offer for free chicken — KFC's Kentucky Grilled Chicken has been having a moment in the spotlight.

With the recent debut and scandal — involving Oprah's offer for free chicken — KFC's Kentucky Grilled Chicken has been having a moment in the spotlight. If your heart so desires, you too can have 15 minutes of KFC fame. The fast food chain has just launched a global search for a new spokesperson to represent the brand.

They're looking for the ultimate KFC fan to promote and be the iconic face of the grilled chicken line. Interested participants must submit a video explaining why he or she is the biggest KFC grilled chicken fan. Three finalists will be selected on July 25 and the public can vote for the winner starting on Aug. 1. The winner will receive a lifetime supply of Kentucky Grilled Chicken and could potentially appear in commercials or print ads.

Source

spanish

Yummy Links: From In-N-Out to Home Brewing

Will In-N-Out Burger finally become a national standby?

Food

KFC Goes Grilled

As posting calorie counts becomes mandatory in more and more places, many fast food restaurants are trying to lure health-conscious customers back in an effort to boost slumping sales.

As posting calorie counts becomes mandatory in more and more places, many fast food restaurants are trying to lure health-conscious customers back in an effort to boost slumping sales. Following its competitors that have been offering grilled fare for years, Kentucky Fried Chicken is now serving up buckets of grilled chicken, which is much healthier than its fried counterpart. The grilled chicken will cost the same as KFC's Original Recipe, but the caloric price is considerably lower.

To see how these two types of KFC chicken compare, read more

Charity

KFC Hopes to Sweeten the Pothole

Could potholes be the new billboards?

Could potholes be the new billboards? Kentucky Fried Chicken is hoping so with a new marketing and urban renewal program. Last week, as part of the chicken chain's "Fresh Tastes Best" campaign, KFC filled potholes as a private sponsor in Louisville, KY — spray-painting each repair with a stenciled memo: "Re-Freshed by KFC."

The fast food company, which estimates that there are more than 350 million potholes nationwide, wants four more cities to be a part of the campaign and has sent letters to various mayors, offering to patch potholes gratis.

KFC would not comment on how much it will cost the company to fill potholes in five cities. From Starbucks giving free coffee for community service to Kellogg's donating its Michael Phelps cereal boxes to a food bank, companies seem to be focused on marketing their brands next to a good cause.

I'm on the fence about this new campaign. Sure, it couldn't come at a better time for budget-strapped cities that desperately need repair. But on the other hand, I see it as yet another visual space being exploited for marketing purposes. Plus, there are other logistical matters that need to be accounted for — such as what materials are being used, how long KFC would be accountable for the potholes they've fixed, and, of course, the issue of those hideous spray-painted logos. What do you think of the campaign? Are potholes a great cause for KFC to get behind, or is it corporate sponsorship at its worst?

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Humor

Flashback: When You Could Still Feel Good About KFC

It's hard to imagine that there was a time when "feeling good about a meal" and "Kentucky Fried Chicken" could be uttered in the same breath.

It's hard to imagine that there was a time when "feeling good about a meal" and "Kentucky Fried Chicken" could be uttered in the same breath. I mean, what with the news about how bad fast food is for your health, how those poor chickens are treated, and the bad rap "fried" anything gets, this commercial seems to have been made many, many moons ago.