KFC is hot on grilled chicken but customers aren't buying it

[Renew Deal]

I know this picture makes you hungry:



KFC franchisees aren’t exactly crowing over the chicken giant’s decision to emphasize grilled rather than fried poultry.

In fact, some feel that this health-conscious strategy is confusing to the customer and bad for the brand, according to Bloomberg Business Week.

The chain, which is owned by Yum! Brands, may be aiming to please fat-phobes who don’t want to eat bone-in, breaded, oil-dipped chicken by offering a grilled product.

In January, the KFC National Council & Advertising Cooperative, the group that reps U.S. franchisees, decided to sue KFC to get control of the advertising strategy. This came in the wake of poor sales: second-quarter revenue at American KFCs (those open for a year or more) decreased 7%.
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Franchisees have been clucking with disapproval over a couple KFC decisions. Last year, the company introduced grilled chicken and the slogan, "Unthink KFC." In May 2009, the chain initiated a grilled chicken giveaway on “Oprah.”

Franchisees were told they might get a few hundred customers coming in to redeem their online coupons and get free chicken. Some franchises ran out of food when thousands showed up. “The cost to the franchisee was much larger than they said,” franchisee Pat Dempsey told Bloomberg Business Week. "That started a continued downfall in trust."

Since that promotion was canceled, sales of grilled chicken have sunk, according to Larry Starkey, owner of seven KFC franchises. He said grilled chicken accounts for only about 16% of the "on the bone" chicken he sells.

Some franchisees think customers would be happiest if the chain left well enough alone. One of them, Marilynn Pankratz, who said she learned how to fry chicken from Colonel Sanders himself, feels current KFC officers don’t care much about the herb-and-spice Original Recipe.
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http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/08/17/2010-08-17_unhealthy_profits_kfc_pushing_grilled_chicken_but_are_people_buying.html

I'm glad to see the so called health consciousness hasn't taken over KFC. There's nothing quite like a bucket of Original Recipe.

[DJ13]

1. The few times we tried the grilled it was too dry

It tasted like dried rubber.

[shanti]

4. yes, it was dry

i used to love the original recipe, but can't have it anymore due to my diabetes. :(

[snooper2]

5. and the pieces are half the size

:)

That may just be due to lack of breading though :P

[Phentex]

61. Got it once. It was TINY! Like miniature food...

Flavor was pretty good but it wasn't enough to feed any of us.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

26. Good juicy grilled chicken is so hard to make, and KFC proves it. It's terrible.

[K8-EEE]

32. El Pollo Loco makes the grilled chicken work but

They have actual GRILLS in there -- whereas KFC is more, put it in a George Foreman type thingee.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

39. I'm in NY and have never heard about El Pollo Loco. There is one deli about 30 minutes from here

that knows how to do it right and they do use a real grill.

[K8-EEE]

49. Wow really??? Here in L.A.

It seems like there are El Pollo Locos about every 30 feet...I have 4 of them within a mile of my house including a drive thru! Anyway they have big flame grills behind the counter and use a citrus marinade, and have a fresh salsa bar too! Half my fam is vegetarian so I love the choice of rice, beans, tortillas, salad and steamed veggies, one of the few easy drive thru places where everyone around here is happy.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

59. I just did a search. There are a smattering on the east coast, the closest to me, 1 in

CT and another one that is temporarily closed, in NJ. The one in Connecticut must be about 2 hours from here. Oh well!

It sounds like a yummy place. My youngest son just turned into a partial vegetarian (he eats fish, dairy and eggs) and would probably have a ball with the salsa bar.

Thanks for letting me know what I'm missing! lol!

:hi:

[K8-EEE]

29. OMG KFC is the GROSSEST fast food place there is!!

I read where the "grilled chicken" had BEEF as an ingredient. WTF man. The fried stuff is like wet grease sponges so I can imagine how horrid the fake "grilled" stuff is...they have some kind of device putting those phony stripes on it.

[tridim]

2. Really the only reason I never go to KFC..

Is because it ALWAYS takes too long to get your order.

Last time I was there, I used the drive-thru and waited about 30 minutes. I wanted to leave, but I was stuck in line.

[vanbean]

3. That stuff is just too salty for me.

[Lisa0825]

7. Their fried chicken is way too salty for my taste, but I *heart* their pot pies!!!

:loveya:

[Poll_Blind]

Indeed- I cook a lot of my own food and the amount of salt in fast food....

...is absolutely astronomical. I think people who eat a lot of fast food just get used to it. I used to eat fast food quite a bit a decade or so ago and KFC was only "mildly" more salty in comparison. Nowdays I just couldn't go near something like KFC or one of these meat/bacon freakout burgers they have at Wendy's, etc.

:puke:

PB

[Phil The Cat]

6. Too Bad! So Sad!

Profitting from the slaughter of innocent animals is WRONG!

Profitting from the destruction of people's health is WRONG!

Let ALL the killer food joints either change their murdering ways or go out of business!

Some will say, "What about the jobs? People need jobs!"

Yes, of course they do! They need jobs USEFUL to EVERYONE!

Healers and caregivers for the sick and elderly!

Organic farmers, weeding and controlling pests by hand, not chemicals!

Engineers and laborers building a clean energy system!

Carpenters building and rehabilitating homes for the poor!

THESE are the things people should be laboring on - not giving tasty poison to people!

[Lisa0825]

8. .

:popcorn:

[Phil The Cat]

11. Thank you for eating Popcorn

And not murdered animals!

[Lisa0825]

12. It's lunch time here,.. gotta go grab my turkey sandwhich from the frdge... BRB.

I eat less meat nowadays, but I'll never be a vegetarian.

[hugo_from_TN]

42. I hope that popcorn has margarine and not butter...

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. I LOVE animals.

They taste SOOOO good.

[Renew Deal]

13. The place you describe sound an awful lot like

North Korea. Not get me another bucket of the colonels recipe!

[Rebubula]

23. MMMMmmmmm....Tasty Poison

Your hardcore attitude and post is duly noted.

Now...back to my burgers and fries.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

25. ...

Poe's Law applies. I'm truly baffled. This can be one thing or the other.

[Regret My New Name]

37. lol....

. <3

[superduperfarleft]

38. I'll say this as a vegan: you're not helping. n/t

[Phil The Cat]

51. I got a bit carried away, but still

I love the taste of meat! I still crave meat!

But in the process of awakening philosophically, I have come to realize how destructive and inhumane it is!

I'll try to keep from going over the top with vegan / vegetarian advocacy!

It's just hard to fight the haunting of all the animals that were slaughtered to fill my gut over the years!

[Roland99]

9. What I really miss is Sunday brunches at the Claudia Sanders House as a kid.

ommmmg...that was some good eatin'! :)

[Javaman]

14. Try finding out how they source their chickens sometime...

You might change your mind about eating there altogether.

[Still Blue in PDX]

17. There's a KFC across the street from my work, and the smells wafting out of there are wonderful.

Doesn't tempt me in the slightest, though.

[Javaman]

54. Plenty of things smell good...

but I would be damned to eat it. LOL

Don't get me wrong, I eat chicken, I just don't care for the type that is less a chicken and more a science experiment.

[Arugula Latte]

22. I would never eat at a KFC

The thought of it makes my stomach lurch.

[K8-EEE]

50. +1 and that shit isn't even CHEAP! nt

[Javaman]

55. I had a buddy of mine that worked at one...

he told me things.

That was enough for me.

[Phil The Cat]

52. K & R

Thank you!

[doc03]

15. I tried it once or twice and it isn't any good, it's dry and tasteless

Put some f----g BBQ sauce on it. It is like the McLean burger McDonalds put out a dry tasteless piice of crap and it went under. I buy Morningstar Farms burgers that are far better than the McLean was.

[KatyMan]

16. Why go to KFC when there's....

Popeyes! Jeebus, that's a serious no brainer.

[Robb]

20. This. nt

[K8-EEE]

33. El Pollo Loco kicks KFC's ass around the block AND

Has salad and bean rice cheese burritos for the vegetarians....I don't think there are any veg-friendly items at KFC.

I think the grilled chicken is to compete with El Pollo Loco, but they don't want to invest in actual GRILLS!

[LiberalPersona]

56. I prefer Church's

personally
But Popeye's is better than KFC too

[Kalyke]

60. Ewww... I hate over-spiced fried chicken.

A little cajun spice is fine, but Popeye's tastes like Bobby Flay's spice rack fell in.

[lpbk2713]

18. I went to KFC for the first time in a couple of years recently.

I was in a bit of a hurry and KFC was nearby. There was a line at the drive-up so I went inside and ordered to go. I saw a three piece dinner on the menu board for $6.99 so I ordered that. The clerk asked me 'light or dark' and I told her no preference. When she ran it up she told me the total came to ten bucks and change. I had to ask her if that was correct. She looked at me like no one ever asked her such a thing before. Most places I go to include the beverage in the price of the meal deal but I guess not KFC. I will say they served it to me quickly. So I left there after paying over ten bucks for a greasy fast food lunch. I don't think I'll be returning to KFC in any big hurry.

:thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

[Roland99]

19. a LOT of restaurants are separating drinks from meals nowadays

even in kids' meals. And they're charging upwards of $3 for 18 cents worth of soda syrup and carbonated water.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. The only thing worthwhile from KFC is the original recipe fried chicken.

It's a good recipe. Good enough to take a small restaurant and make a worldwide franchise out of it. That single recipe justifies the Colonel's success. But everything else is window dressing.

[DJ13]

24. I used to love their BBQ chicken

Its too bad they dont serve it anymore.

[MadBadger]

27. Have to disagree with you there (in terms of chicken)

Love me some Extra Crispy

[FrenchieCat]

28. Folks going to KFC for chicken aren't interested in a "healthy" meal......

they want fried chicken skin on their chicken.

[MadHound]

30. Thank you!

Health conscience and KFC are two concepts that simply don't go together, no matter what the management does to try and change their image.

[K8-EEE]

31. Right?? Disgusting! n/t

[Earth_First]

34. People should be worried alot more than grilled v. fried when it comes to KFC

The factory farms where these chickens are exploited is the real issue.

But I fear I've said too much already...

[cbdo2007]

35. If I want to eat healty I'll stay home and bake some chicken in the oven.

Really I can eat much healthier at home so "eating healthy" takes a lot of the fun out of eating out.

[SoCalDem]

36. Trying to be everything to everyone is not a good thing.

KFC is "famous" for The Colonel's "secret recipe", and all the changing of the menu to be more "healthy" will not change that fact.

If the owners of KFC want to gain more market-share, trying to sell health-foods alongside their specialty, the new foods are not likely to succeed.

If people want grilled chicken they will probably go to a place where that entree is their specialty.

Not many people go to Chinese restaurants if they are craving a juicy hamburger.

Offering salads and fruit like hamburger places now do, is not that big of a deal since parents often outgrow McDonalds food (in more than one way), but the relentless advertising and ridiculously low prices will still attract families looking for a cheap meal, and parents may not want a burger.

As a person who has been around since before "fast-foods", I can tell you that many times as places stray away from what was their specialty, they often fail at the attempts because people like what they originally offered.

[Jennicut]

40. Go to Boston Market if you don't want to eat fried chicken. That grilled stuff at KFC looks hideous.

Then again, I am not sure how many Boston Markets there are besides the East Coast.

[flvegan]

41. Customers would RUSH to buy grilled chicken at KFC if they

wrapped the grilled chicken in bacon and then deep fried it.

I'd make book on that.

[SoCalDem]

43. you forgot the most important part..

putting the chicken between two donuts & wrapping the entire thing in a slab of pizza:)

[flvegan]

45. D'oh! You're right.

And the pizza should be some sort of "meat lovers" with pepperoni, sausage/linguica, etc.

[SoCalDem]

46. with extra cheese

:)

[fifthoffive]

44. Greasy on the outside

Dry on the inside.

I think their grilled chicken is greasier than their fried chicken (with the skin removed). I never eat the outside of the fried chicken, so I thought I'd try the grilled. It seemed like they painted oil on the outside. Nasty.

[MineralMan]

47. Original Recipe only for me, thanks.

Once a year, I eat it. That is all.

I'll second the El Pollo Loco post, though. Good chicken. Good sides. Healthy food.

[PBS Poll-435]

48. When I was doing Atkins, it was ok.

I absolutely love their Honey BBQ "wings".

[TheMightyFavog]

53. No Colonel for me...

Even though I love their biscuits, the chicken gives me really bad indigestion and farts that have been proven by the State of California to cause cancer.

[Boojatta]

57. They need to get rid of fried chicken altogether, and change their name to KGC.

People will protest, generating free publicity. Then they can re-introduce fried chicken as "Classic KFC chicken" and also sell some grilled chicken as "New KGC chicken."

[BlackHoleSon]

58. Recipe changed

I'm convinced that the recipe changed when the Colonel died. Kentucky Fried Chicken was the first fast food joint in town when I was a kid early 70's in Virginia. You would order and then wait about 15 minutes for your chicken to come out to you in the big bucket withe the cardboard top. The chicken itself was of better quality then, none of these Frankenchickens that are so common now. But the spices were the key to it all. I seem to remember a distinct peppery bit to it, mixed with the deep fried - true heaven. It would be great cold for 2-3 days afterward!

[NeedleCast]

62. it was a horrible marketing strategy

People don't got to KFC to get healthy food...

A better idea would have been to spin-off a mostly grilled fast food eatery carrying nearly the same bradning.