The Decline of KFC...What Happened?

Kentucky Fried Chicken is not as large or as respected as they once were. This video attempts to identify the main reasons behind their decline.
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[@ArkliteDC]

My #1 issue with KFC is the price. The quality of the food has continued to decrease over the years yet the price has absolutely skyrocketed.

[@thuydoan7496]

Everything has skyrocketed, it's called inflation. You can thank Biden for that.

[@trevertravis8963]

That's pretty much the same at all fast food restaurants.

[@picklerix6162]

The Colonel died and quality died with him.

[@thuydoan7496]

@@picklerix6162 The Colonel left his recipe behind so that we can all continue to enjoy his original fried chicken.

[@alexgilliam75able]

I eat Bojangles that's the best chicken in the game maybe Popeyes too.

[@sixletters9759]

When the Colonel died, several competing fast food restaurants had signs honoring his passing. Some even closed for the day of his funeral. That's how respected he was.

[@dustmybroom288]

Wow!

[@cameronthomas1358]

"Everything I ever known or learned from the fast-food industry, I learned from Colonel Sanders and working at his resteraunt" -Dave Thomas, founder of Wendys

[@900stx7]

It's sad that the Colonel built the chain from the ground up, everyone knew his image on the sign. But just like that they changed the image and did new commercials with the Colonel portrayed as a bumbling idiot. After decades of establishing the image and brand It's destroyed in one pathetic ad campaign.

[@aff77141]

Meanwhile 15 years later, his own restaurant has random comedians yukking it up

[@randomrazr]

how many chickens do you think the colonel is responsiblefor ?

[@dacypher22]

I love that the Colonel kept calling out the quality. Even after he sold the company, he still cared about the product that his face was on. As he should have

[@SoapinTrucker]

AND that he started ONE new restaurant to get back to HIS quality, and that restaurant is still in business! Claudia Sanders Dinner House!

[@franksitas2051]

Don't forget about the small arms and legs attached to the big head.

[@owenb8636]

Suing him for his comments sounds like a PR nightmare

[@MrWolfSnack]

Papa John did the same. Coincidentally it was the inside job conspired against him by marketing execs from him quoting what Colonel Sanders said 50 years ago that lost him from his company. Now Papa Johns is in the same dumpster fire as KFC. "Yum!" Brands oligarchy ruins every single fast food chain.

[@billebrooks]

@@owenb8636 KFC suing Colonel Sanders is like the US government suing George Washington.

[@zathras11b53]

Colonel Sanders, the founder (and a real person, NOT a cartoon) had a specific method for preparing the chicken. During one of the sales of the company the new owner decided that the original "11 herbs and spices" should be reduced to just 2 in order to save money. William Poundstone, in his 1983 book 'Big Secrets', got some of the mix and it was chemically analyzed to reveal that pepper and MSG are the only thing in the flour now.

[@wanfu5634]

When I was a little kid, getting KFC was considered a treat. But the decline in quality absolutely makes me choose almost anywhere else.

[@xTechDeath]

Popeyes all day

[@-Cetus-]

Pretty much. Now I only get it out of desperation if nothing else is close by and I haven't eaten all day. It never feels good having to resort to them the few times I've done it.

[@bernie472]

Agreed. In the 1980's, when my mom was going to get that for dinner because my dad had to work late, we loved it. Today, I would rather get something better for my family as a treat. KFC is not what it once was.

[@sarcastomimic2683]

Ironically, I get the old KFC treat vibe when eating Chick-Fil-A. They have the BEST Lemonade, BTW!

[@wanfu5634]

On a tangent, I just saw an old ad for KFC from ‘83. Feed a family of four for $3.47. Dear Lord.

[@tech9803]

Same old corporate story, cynically cut corners, cut costs and cut quality.

[@jamesd242]

Greedy c sukrs

[@terrymckenzie8786]

America in a nut shell.

[@trevor852]

Yet In n out and Chick fil a are thriving since they are privately owned and don’t have to bend the knee to shareholders.

[@ernestcote3398]

@@trevor852 Is it simply shareholders or is it more personal, the boss needs more versus give back to the customer?

[@StsFiveOneLima]

What FclUCKING SUCKS is that I remember when their chicken was excellent. It has gone to crap, over time, and THAT is why I think they have declined.

[@SKG1941]

If the Colonel ate anything from KFC today,he would personally go outside and pull his face off every franchise

[@tolucaheights]

He would shoot the chicken pizza

[@avery.a5948]

He would fuck the chicken

[@Loydstardeli2017]

Think his family still get paid,laugh, laugh

[@SmilingAbyssinianCat-dl9dl]

The KFC us asians have are honestly decent. Every KFC in downtown area are so busy with long lines of people waiting. Unlike the western woke obese unhygienic meth head crazies we take our job seriously and demand some standarts even if working for KFC

[@SKG1941]

@@SmilingAbyssinianCat-dl9dl yes, I can really believe that you are right. The problem in this country is that no one cares about doing a quality job unless it pays a ton of money and sometimes not even that. Enjoy it because when it’s gone it’s gone. Also, I am from the south in the US basically where that kind of chicken originated. we miss it. Luckily there are many other restaurants that still make quality fried chicken.

[@kevinwhite4079]

Somehow, KFC found the tiniest chickens I've ever seen. Little tiny pieces of chicken that takes several pieces to make up a normal portion. Other fast food chicken restaurants had normal sized pieces of chicken. This made KFC more expensive by volume than its competitors.

[@coldlakealta4043]

my wife thinks they are using little Cornish hens

[@remhk6672]

Church's chicken are unusually massive. Hormone injection?

[@VeesFunkyAZZshop]

I worked as a cook at Kentucky Fried Chicken from 1985 to 1988. Back then they made mostly everything from scratch. The biscuits were mixed in the kitchen in a dough mixer The biscuit dough was made from real flour and real buttermilk that came in a carton, now I am sure they are all pre-made and frozen. The cole slaw was made from FRESH cabbage and was grinded in the store with REAL fresh carrots and onions. The gravy was made from the "cracklings" found in the bottom of the chicken fryers. The breading to both the original and crispy chickens were dipped in real milk and egg dippings prior to being cooked in the pressure cookers. The original recipe spices though premade was pure and mixed with REAL flour! I am certain everything now comes either "pre-made" "frozen" or "pre packaged". Not to mention we were trained by KFC staff leaders to provide optimal service. Such a shame the decline in this company.

[@Buddycoop1]

The CEO took his millions and ran. Very sad this isn't called out on social media.

[@mobidkillerx]

Yeah I agree. I'm not as old as you are, but I'm still old enough to remember when KFC was KF-motherfuckin-C! The quality went down in the tubes and it's still edible, but as gross as it is to say, I do prefer Popeyes now. Now the best chicken place that I know of is Pollo Campero which is an El Salvadorian fast food chicken place. Now THAT is some A1 chicken.

[@jeffcampbell2710]

It was Kentucky Fried Chicken, KFC wasn't a thing. That was the late 60's, early 70's. I remember the first one in East Ridge Tennessee. Man it was a big deal to get Kentucky Fried Chicken. We didn't eat out but one time a week, and that was Friday night. Saturday Night was Jiffy Pop Popcorn, in the Silver Aluminum Done, cooked on the stove, and Hee Haw! I think taking away Colonel Sanders authority ruined it. It was about quality and consistency. I heard he would repossess the pressure cooker if he caught someone slacking. When he sold out, money became the goal, not quality. I think that was the biggest change. Do they still cook it in the pressure cooker?

[@mobidkillerx]

@@jeffcampbell2710 @Jeff Campbell yeah I don't know about any pressure cookers. I worked at a KFC when I was a kid for all of a month. I got laid off for what I thought was no reason whatsoever, but then a month or two afterwards the whole place went out of business so at least I can be at peace knowing that I didn't do anything wrong. I take pride in my job and that was only one of 3 jobs I've ever been fired from so I was pretty upset about it for a while until they went out of business and that's when I realized that it was just bad management, not bad employees. I've seen a lot of videos on this guy's channel and most of these businesses that fail do so when the original founders part ways and the business is taken over by some greedy dipshit who doesn't know what they're doing and never fully realized why the business they took over was successful in the first place. Oh let's stop using this more expensive ingredient, and let's switch to this cheap shit, but charge the customers the same amount. So then slowly but surely they start losing business because nobody wants to eat they're shitting low quality food. But yeah I don't remember seeing a pressure cooker up there, but they did have a shitload of deep fryers so they would just constantly be dropping this battered chicken into the deep fryers all damn day.

[@markscannell865]

I worked at a KFC around 2000. At the time, the biscuits were pre-formed frozen and not fresh. The cole slaw was a big bag of pre-shredded veggies that had to be mixed with the mayo. The gravy was still the same as what you say. The breading did not have real milk or eggs. At the time they used powdered milk, flour, and a spice mixture. The mashed potatoes would be some pre-processed dry mix as opposed to mashing fresh potatoes. KFC and Pizza Hut are in the same boat. They were great back in the 70s/80s when they used more fresh ingredients. It would be a special occasion to go to Pizza Hut for dinner or bring home KFC for dinner. The decline in quality was one among the many reasons for the decline in those restaurants.

[@brickman409]

Man, hearing the Colonel's own comments about the decline of quality at KFC is an eye opener. Makes me want to go back in time and try what the real original recipe was like.

[@darthXreven]

if you built a time machine just to taste the best fried chicken.....well that's not the best reason to do it.... "I build the time machine to know the why's the when's and the how's of history" -Doc Emmet Brown I'm part joking but I agree, I'd love to see what his recipe was like....to grow a business like his that got that big well you know his recipe had to be really good....

[@robhogate2312]

Yeah I'd also really like to see what his recipe tastes like,if it's still floating around out there somewhere then somebody needs to get it out there....what better way to honor the man then giving the ppl a chance to enjoy his work....also I'd have to say that would be a damn good reason for someone to invent a time machine

[@theforgeryttv6449]

When I heard he complained about the new gravy being similar to "wallpaper paste" and KFC filing a lawsuit to silence him, you know it's serious trouble.

[@loganshutts1063]

there is still a restaraunt where you can get the orginal

[@saber2802]

@@loganshutts1063 What's that?

[@Phrxshn]

First, but on a serious note - Back when the Sanders was still Alive, KFC was one of the very first franchised fast food restaurants. This used to be taken extremely seriously. Every corporate manager would do constant in-depth inspections, and if you fell below standards, you would forfeit your franchisee license. But there have been complaints that these standards have dropped with KFC.

[@Planag7]

Yes. It was a very tightly controlled system. Sadly standards have placed so much :(

[@primusvsunicron1]

If you fell below standards The Colonel himself would show up and would be pissed

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

He kept the company in a rather high standard for as long as he lived.

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@primusvsunicron1 I'd pay money to see a video of a geriatric Colonel beating a franchise owner with his cane over the quality of the gravy.

[@ed9492]

@@Raskolnikov70 As they roll their eyes and say Ok boomer.

[@richerDiLefto]

What happened to KFC is the same thing that happened to other fast food restaurants. Crap food quality, crap service, crap sanitation (often literally), and crap prices. It’s not a big mystery.

[@jrxvo6080]

What happened to KFC? I'll tell you what happened: Back in the mid-1990s they removed the 11 herbs and spices from there regular original "11 herbs and spices" batter. And ever since then there was a steady decline of customers. Back in the mid-1990s KFC was sold and purchased by a large conglomerate Corporation. The new owners decided to remove the ONLY best reason why people like eating at Kentucky Fried Chicken. And when I called the new owners of KFC and asked them why they removed the 11 herbs and spices they told me that fewer old people were eating there because the old people thought the chicken was too salty. What a much a bull crap! That was NOT the reason. They got rid of the 11 herbs and spices because that was the most expensive ingredient of that particular batter. They did it ONLY for additional major cash profits so that they could more quickly pay off the purchase cash price of KFC. And I remember, before KFC sold out to some cheap ass corporate conglomerate, I used to notice how other people at the KFC restaurants would finish eating all the meat off the chicken bones and then they would carefully pick off the leftover chunks of batter of the 11 herbs and spices and eat those leftover chunks of batter because of how good a flavor it was. And ever since they removed the 11 herbs and spices I stopped eating there but occasionally about every five years I would try the chicken again to see if they put at least 50% of the spices back in BUT they did not. They continue to have bland tasting better. These new large corporation conglomerates keep doing these kind of things destroying so many fine once superior quality U.S. products and services. They are slowly helping to turn the United States into another Third World crappy poor quality country.

[@bobthetvfan]

@@jrxvo6080 The KFC in my town hardly has any customers. It has a bad reputation for sanitation and poor quality food; I can't eat it without getting sick. Bojangles has the chicken business here.

[@jrxvo6080]

​@@bobthetvfan Yeah, I hear that a lot about different KFC's. And the last one I visited about a month ago was disgustingly dirty ! There was caked up grease and dirt on the floors around all the door jams including inside the kitchen. The main entrance door to the lobby had caked up grease and smear marks that were obviously several months old that were NEVER cleaned by the manager. And the men's bathroom did not have a partition board/wall between the commode and the toilet which meant only one person could use the bathroom at a time. So, since so many KFC restaurants have fewer and fewer customers and are not clean properly, that means ONLY one thing: KFC will file bankruptcy and every single one of their restaurants will be closed permanently. GOOD! And, as I mentioned earlier, the main reason fewer and fewer customers don't want to eat at KFC anymore is because the new owners of KFC removed the famous "Colonel's 11 Herbs and Spices" from their Original Batter Recipe beginning in the mid-1990s. And they did that only to save a lot of money to help them to sooner pay off what they paid for purchasing KFC. Careless fools and lousy investors.

[@EristiCat]

I cooked for the Colonel in 1966-1967. The product was excellent. It was cooked in individual pressure cookers about 2 or 3 times larger than a home pressure cooker. Each one held two cut up chickens. You could easily lift them with two hands. We used genuine Crisco, quality flower and a made in the store milk and egg dip from prepackaged materials so more or less a fresh milk and egg dip. Temperatures were kept on the money as was cooking time. Oil was thrown out when it was worn out, when you are cooking with it you can tell. During peak dining times it was hard work, there might be 8 pots going continually in my store, in bigger stores I would not be surprised if there were 16 going. With the quality of ingredients and the care put into cooking each pot the cooked chicken was literally finger licking good. It was beautiful to look at, fully breaded, golden brown, pretty much all the breading stuck on like it was glued in place. Because it was pressure cooked it was beautifully crispy outside and still moist and tender inside. One day we got a new shipment of "oil" and new "flour" they wanted us to try as an experiment. Obviously, an experiment to save money. We tried the new stuff and could tell as soon as it came out of the pots that it was terrible. On a scale of 0 - 100 with the real stuff being 100 it would have been about a 70. We reported back and that was the end of it. That was long long ago, and I've watched over the years as the product quality has declined. Not working there anymore I can't say with any authority what the cause is other than what would be the obvious things to conclude, they are using crappy ingredients to save money and they have switched to those gigantic pressure tubs to cook in. The final product usually looks like it was made by people who literally don't give a crap about product quality. Breading is falling off, it's greasy and undercooked and often tastes like the oil has been in use far too long. On their best day what they produce is perhaps an 80 compared to what we put out back in the 60's.

[@VegasX900]

Do you know what the recipe used to be for the gravy?

[@EristiCat]

@@VegasX900 No. The Gravy was made by "the girls" and the "milk and egg dip" was made by "the boys". I don't recall ever seeing the gravy get made. It was darn good though.

[@loydkline]

Wow: legendary cook work for colonel.sander;; ; lucky

[@Chromedome-ss6mg]

Funny comment lol

[@danielt.3152]

I remember eating KFC in the late 60’s and I can tell there is a difference between then and now. It was darn good. It is still pretty tolerable but you are right not as good as it was. My theory is they forgot the original recipe also. It used to have a bit more pepper in it and a little more kick so to speak.

[@jeffjordan3806]

The reason our family stopped going to KFC back in the 90a,was their prices. They priced themselves out of the market.

[@roberthicks9191]

Yes

[@tedferreira155]

And their product is crap these days.

[@jjano2320]

They are really high now.

[@galerae947]

$10 for a wing and breast piece, small drink, and small side.

[@scottgriffin449]

Prices are high and quality has gone down

[@rogermcghee8125]

I worked at KFC back in 1979 or so. The quality of the food (all of it) has gotten so bad that my friends and family won't eat there any more. People eat unhealthy food everyday, but they won't eat unhealthy food that just plain sucks.

[@nuffdoggiggey4103]

I also worked there in 79. If you ask me, I say they sold the recipe to Chick-fil-A, could swear to it, I masterd the technique of cooking the chicken and its garbage now, but Chick-fil-A taste exactly like the old KFC no doubt about it.

[@rzh3369]

Please try and review a UK based franchise called: Southern Fried Chicken, Original Lip licking flavour. The branding has boat, river and sun on it.

[@BritonAD]

That's too bad. I still eat there on occasion. Wonder what quality has been cut.

[@moopert86]

Truth. There's unhealthy but good tasting, then there's KFC which manages to be at the same time unhealthy, expensive, and just plain not good tasting.

[@tonyfourpaws4511]

I gave up eating out at ANY corporate place years ago. every.. single..place.. has gone to shit. not ONE of them has improved on ANY level.

[@kylebrantleyy3096]

i recently went to Japan and thought i’d give their KFC a try. it was the greatest thing ever, and brought me back to how it used to taste as a kid. a restaurant hardly ever just starts declining. the decline almost always starts on their end with the ingredients and cleanliness.

[@kamekomiyamora]

When I went on a solo 5 day tripa few years back, it was on my itinery to visit one, but I wasn't really hungry when one was nearby, and there was none in the next area. I'll definitely try it if/when I visit again 🥺

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

KFC in France is also amazing!

[@Unpluggedx89]

Because young Americans don’t take pride in their work anymore

[@Manganization]

KFC is only declining in the US. In the Caribbean, KFC is still pretty huge. Judging by the way Americans react to KFC in the Caribbean, I'm going to assume that KFC in America just tastes bad.

[@Bibi_Dude]

Kfc In Canada is amazing

[@friendlytester6861]

I worked at KFC and I think one thing that really works to their disadvantage is there for ever-changing menu. The structure, pricing, offerings etc. change too often so you never know what you’re going to get or for how much. It’s a lot more obvious with KFC than other restaurants.

[@mikeap1987]

The menu is also very crowded and complicating to read.

[@friendlytester6861]

@@mikeap1987 yup. The $5 fill ups helped and they took it away

[@malcolmabram2957]

I used to regularly go To KFC for their value meals, 3 pieces chicken, chips and a drink. Have not done that for a long time. Don't go now.

[@friendlytester6861]

@@malcolmabram2957 I liked the meals that had bone in and boneless chicken like the two thighs and popcorn chicken combination. They don’t have it anymore.

[@willc5512]

@@mikeap1987 Its also an arm & a leg now. Complete nonsense.

[@RandomBlackGamer]

Simple. They stopped being *Kentucky Fried Chicken* and started being KFC once they got bought out by Pepsi. Like its subsidiary brother Pizza Hut it did away with the original ingredients. They'd rather prioritize gimmick food over quality food. Which only some chains such as Taco Bell can get away with. And last but not least its too expensive. Nobody wants to break their wallet over disgusting food.

[@Raskolnikov70]

I worked at Pizza Hut for years in the 90's, through the whole TriCon/YUM transition, and they did the opposite there. "Lightning Bolt" was their program in 1997 to improve the quality of their pizza and it was a huge success. That's also around the time they bought the stuffed crust concept which was probably one of the biggest fast food success stories in decades. They'd tried a bunch of those gimmicky concepts over the years but finally did the one thing that people really wanted - improved the quality of their product - and it was a massive success. Of course that was 20+ years ago and their quality has dropped off significantly. It cost a lot of money at the time to replace canned/dried ingredients with fresh ones and I guess once they'd recaptured a bunch of market share doing that they went back to cost-cutting and scrimping on quality. Domino's and Toppers (a regional chain in the midwest) are both way better than PH these days.

[@ACoolKidsProduction]

You should watch this channel's video on Pizza Hut, he blames their decline partly on their not doing gimmicky pizza anymore. That said, what works for pizza may not work for fried chicken.

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

All I know is they either changed their recipe or the way they cooked the 🐔 not too long ago. I always crave KFC, go buy a box, lowkey regret it and then drop it for months. It's a vicious cycle.

[@Taffer-bx7uc]

Taco Bell will destroy your anus if you have it too much.

[@nunyabiznes33]

I think KFC outside America also try novelty gimmicks (I live in the Philippines and I remember they made a chicken pizza... it's pizza but the "bread" part is fried chicken). But KFC is still pretty good here. Popeye's recently entered the market and I don't know if it'll be able to catch up.

[@lynderherberts2828]

I remember back in the 1980's, we stopped eating at KFC because the breading spice recipe had been altered by the new owners of the franchise. It was no longer special or exceptional.

[@jamesmullins374]

If you’ve never heard of it, KFC actually had a test restaurant in Louisville KY to try to turn KFC into more of a fast casual dining experience. KFC 11. It was so good when it opened. Fresh ingredients, friendly staff, and the southwest chicken bowl was one of the best dishes I’ve had at a fast casual location. It was somewhere I would go to a few times a week. And the only reason I stopped is because corporate got involved and started to remove items from the menu and change over to more normal KFC menu items. Eventually it was just a regular KFC and was a sad disappointment. All to make a few extra cents on the dollar that caused it to go out of business. Makes me hate KFC for ruining something that was amazing.

[@emilyadams3228]

That isn't just KFC. That's what people do, as a species.

[@poeticsilence047]

Doesn't make sense. Why ruin something that obviously is working.

[@sepg5084]

@@poeticsilence047 business is not just about something working or not, it is about market, profit, margins. You can have a great product with small profit margins, but you could also have a cheaper product that is just "good enough" but higher profit margins and sells more volume.

[@willissudweeks1050]

Whoa I didn’t know that

[@justinwhite2813]

James Mullins KFC , toco bell , pizza hut own by yum brands headquarter headquarters in Louisville Kentucky.

[@ZemanTheMighty]

I find KFC to be wildly inconsistent. Sometimes you’ll go to one and it will be the best fast food you’ve ever had. But most of the time it’s just kind of gross and oily. The oil sometimes drips right down your arm if you aren’t careful. I just don’t risk it anymore. I’d rather go somewhere where I know the quality will be consistent.

[@MrPoopypants]

I totally agree. Portion size there is the same. Sometimes you get a massive piece of chicken and other times they are small with no meat on them. It makes it hard to know how much to order.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

Yeah. Fried chicken has always been oily all the time. I guess "finger lickin' good" lives up to its name, isn't it?

[@Planag7]

Completely agree

[@VernCrisler]

Yes, I've noticed that, too. A couple of times I've had to get them to redo the order. In another case, both the food and the service were so bad, I asked for a refund and never went back. If a fast food restaurant wants to stay in business, they cannot afford to lose customers, but that idea seems to be lost on some employees.

[@blacklikethesun]

Facts

[@Sunnbobb]

For me, I was shocked when they raised their prices to insane levels a few years back. Haven't gone back.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Don't Tell Password Gain City

[@steelhere5519]

- Kentucky Fried Chicken owners are Republicans. Only Republicans can be that damn greedy.

[@alexw4482]

This, the prices have gone ludicrous. I looks at the menu every once in a while and think….nah I’ll get the online boneless deal at wingstop.

[@bbm1077]

thats because the chicken isn't poison anymore. you're missing out.

[@bbm1077]

no "chicken" in those boneless pieces of "meat". kfc all farm fed chicken now...get what u pay 4

[@bobbylibertini]

In China, KFC stands for Kentucky Fried Cats. [Shielding my cat's eyes as she sits on my lap as I type this]

[@wesc6755]

Dehydrated mashed potato flakes; watery gravy; dry crumbly biscuits; soggy breading on the original recipe chicken. All of these have occurred far too many times for me to go back there. As soon as these places are subsumed into a conglomerate, they start to optimize for low cost. KFC and Taco Bell are perfect examples.

[@kennethrohen5963]

HEY! The gravy is NOT watery, as pure used Ford pickup oil is used as gravy!

[@MJ-py7dm]

Here in France, I find KFC is still the same as McDonald's, it's all very low in terms of expectations. Specialized restaurants have seduced customers over the last decade biting off competing companies like KFC. And also, why does my stomach always hurt after eating their chicken?

[@danielfox3003]

Exactly right. Once the founders sold (Sanders and Bell) and the suits take over, it’s all about the bottom line. Ironically, their food eventually tastes like bottom and not the good kind.

[@chuckvenable4409]

I totally agree 👍 Instant potatoes that have to be drank along with the gravy, if you can stand all the salt . Corn on the cob is as tough as ole field corn 🌽 used to feed animals. It's a complete kick in the head paying so much for no more than you get. We don't go to KFC anymore. Same skimpy portions at taco Bell. A couple flimsy tacos for $20.00 bucks .

[@richardfabacher3705]

Our local KFCs serve a grey, mushy, slimy breading on the chicken. Totally inedible. Even the dogs refused it.

[@wueskew169]

I drive for Doordash in Missoula, MT. Here's a factoid: I can't recall getting more than one order request to go to KFC despite the fact that I've completed over 1,025 pickups and deliveries. Meanwhile, I pickup at Chick-fil-A multiple times each day and Popeye's multiple times each week. I also drive by KFC regularly; I see their parking lot empty most of the time.

[@ryeinn6971]

Fuck kfc

[@wentoneisendon6502]

Very interesting, cheers brother

[@alangray9117]

Popeyes is too greasy. Culver's has the best fried chicken 🍗. I still love kfc extra crispy.

[@SuperWildsnorlax]

They’re still popular in African American and Muslim communities

[@churchofseabass9227]

I agree, I do DD in the south and every KFC is also a Taco bell, I get orders from Taco Bell all day but never KFC. Never see anyone coming in to buy it either.

[@ronsbookreview1010]

Pricing is a really serious issue as well. A 12 piece bucket of chicken at KFC is $23.99 in my area. That's just the chicken, not with any sides. My local grocery store has a hot section in the deli where they fry up fresh fried chicken every day, and a bucket of 12 pieces costs $10.99. The quality is way better than KFC by far to the point that the smell of it makes me weak in the knees. When I pass my local KFC I can smell the grease outside, and it's nauseating.

[@commonsense2156]

Exactly, you can get cheaper better chicken at a local grocery store's hot bar.

[@waxmeltfan]

Oh man that grocery store chicken is to die for

[@JounLord1]

Thats about what I've been doing. The local grocery store has an 8 piece for about 8 bucks, a much better deal then KFC. Tastes not really that different, arguably even better with how hit or miss KFC has gotten. Seems smarter to go with the cheaper option with consistent food quality. And yes the restaurants can be pretty nauseating.

[@dodgsonwevegotdodgsonhere9970]

In Mexico, a 12 piece bucket comes out at approx. $28.5. At the local supermarket, I can get a 12 piece bucket of fried chicken for approx. $6. including a 2 lt. soda and fries. Far better taste and far less oil (it's practically oil-less) Fuck KFC.

[@GeorgeMonet]

Same. 8 piece friend chicken at the grocery is $5.99. Why would I go to KFC where the price is much higher and the quality is comparable?

[@DwightStJohn-w1l]

1995 KFC "bbq" was the No. 1 in Everett Wa. but in Vancouver, BC you couldn't GIVE bbq (essentially ketchup soaked chicken) away.

[@coldlakealta4043]

same in Toronto. Their stores and staff are unpleasant, dirty and sloppy and the food is getting smaller all the time. Walk into a store and instead of a pleasant odour of cooking chicken you get a lung full of overheated grease. Judging by the signs all over town for "under new management" the customers aren't there any more. My nearest store is a one stop lesson in how not to run a food store. The Colonel's way of doing things isn't working in 2024.

[@KaijinD]

You nailed it. As a kid, KFC night was to be looked forward to. You knew the chicken, Mac and cheese, and biscuits would make your night. Then it just changed. I haven't been to one in years because the food is cold, warmed over, and/or of noticeably bad quality. The biscuits are like rocks now.

[@the503creepout7]

i remember it was kind of special when i was a kid & my parents got us that big bucket of chicken, with green beans, mashed potatoes & gravy. And this was way after the Colonel had sold the company(were talkin the 80's). So i don't know exactly whern everything changed - for some reason i relate the name change to KFC to the decline in quality. Nowadays i hardly ever eat fast food but about 10 years ago i went & grabbed a two piece at KFC and was grossed out. It was mushy, greasy, & flavorless outside of all the sodium. And with the prices of food these days, i imagine the classic family bucket meal must be like $40. At least Popeyes is still great.

[@swtv1754]

There biscuits were the best. The last few times I tried them, they were very disappointing.

[@the503creepout7]

@@swtv1754 i dont mean to be repetitive, but again - Popeyes. They're biscuits are pretty darn good.

[@mickschnabel]

Yep! pretty sad when you can go to a grocery store or gas station and get better chicken now. Not sure how much longer KFC will last here in the states TBH

[@goldieslacks]

Their macaroni and cheese tastes disgusting.

[@1951RKP]

A friend of mine had a KFC franchise back in the 60’s and he said Coronal Sanders was very meticulous about maintaining the quality of his food. He would visit unannounced at locations to do quality checks. After he sold the franchise things started going down.

[@abysspegasusgaming]

CoLonEl Sanders had every right to, and it broke his heart to see his beloved company become diminished and disgraced by the ones whom he sold it to. (and, yes, it's spelled colonel, not coronal, as he was in the US Army as well, though didn't earn the rank of colonel)

[@Kuricang31]

​@@abysspegasusgaming Yup. His rank in the US Army was a 'Wagoner'. The 'Colonel' title was given by the Governor of Kentucky at that time to him for help making the State famous. Around the same time where he began dressed as how the world knew him, friendly old man with white suit and a string tie

[@seanpeck8748]

Dave Thomas used to be a KFC franchisee and he would tell stories about the Mr Sanders... Basically he told stories about how if he came to your franchise and didn't like how you were doing things he would literally take his pressure cookers out into your parking lot and run them over, and you were done as a KFC franchise.

[@channelthree9424]

It’s not unusual for this type of thing to happen. It’s sad but it’s not unusual.

[@MrWolfSnack]

If you tasted KFC chicken back then, you would understand why he had every right to do that. People cared about the product they created and it's not hard to just follow simple directions. People get lazy and stupid and don't know how to follow orders and then they need to be punished. @@seanpeck8748

[@hollum1648]

Would love to see a sister video about KFC in international markets! I know Japan in particular has a tradition of everyone eating KFC on Christmas to the point where you have to order it months in advance

[@xxdesertstorm]

Japan at least will hire their own unlike Canada who rather hire one race as they are part of the racist hiring practices currently taking place in Canada #deportindia #indiansarenotwelcomeincanada

[@tonyahinrichs8828]

It's big in Jamaica too. They call it Keep From Cooking

[@brandoncammon7971]

KFC grew from Japans food shortage after WW2 & was the first resaturant to aid

[@Raskolnikov70]

Sounds like that scene from 1993's "Demolition Man" where in the near future they pull up to a 4-star restaurant and it's a Taco Bell.

[@malcolmapplet4313]

@@Raskolnikov70 Taco Bell won the "franchise Wars" that movie is underrated.

[@thewolfdoctor761]

My local KFC opened up around 2 years ago. Finally I decided to give it a try. I got there around 3:45 so there wouldn't be a crowd of customers. I ordered a 2 piece deal. I upgraded to 2 breasts and my potato selection was mashed potatoes. I took it home, 3 minutes away, and right away the chicken looked funny. It was shriveled up and dry. It literally tasted like it might be a couple of days old. I tried the biscuit and it was stale. The mashed potatoes looked OK, but the gravy wasn't what I remembered. It almost tasted like beef gravy. Overall, this was one of the worst meals of my life (I'm 72). For what I paid I could have gotten a whole, cooked Rotisserie Chicken at Wegmans. I will never go to KFC again.

[@PepperTreeVilla]

Our local location of Kentucky Fried Chicken had a major fire. Instead of repairing the building, they closed the restaurant and tore down the location. It’s still an empty lot.

[@critter2]

i got two near me one has taco bell and kfc, the other city has taco in diffrent area and kfc in diffrent area as well. I mean i didn't go to that one cause parking lot look horrible run down... though i say is very clean in store but it very costly for kfc

[@Poet482]

Perhaps it was insurance fraud. Then again, with the awful economy it may have simply been the company viewing it as a sign from above.

[@ElTigre12024]

The KFC that I usually went to growing up had a health violation a few years back, but I never eat there anymore anyways. The quality seems to have gone downhill for years, and the last time I went the service was some of the worst I’ve ever experienced.

[@Raskolnikov70]

I'm sure they ran the numbers and figured out the insurance settlement was more than they'd make from the location in 20 years. Take the money and run...

[@stevecagle2317]

Burned down? Lucky you!

[@robertwilliams7250]

Kfc in Jamaica is crazy popular, it's honestly a staple brand and it tastes really good (I would recommend it to anyone if you visit).... I tried KFC in the U.S. once and as I was ordering the cashier asked if I was Jamaican, when I said yes she told me that the chicken wasn't like my country's and I'm going to be disappointed and I was ☹️.... It's funny how she had to prepare me for it 😂

[@kevaughnramsay9846]

Yup.

[@amtraklover]

Had it in Negril, Jamaica and your right it was amazing. Plus the seafood items weren't bad either

[@SamBrickell]

That's honestly hilarious that she knew your expectations were going to be too high😄

[@goldieslacks]

Their chicken breast taste uncooked

[@LondraCalibro9]

thailand kfc is great too

[@raypabs5374]

High price was the absolute reason that I stopped buying KFC chicken. At one time, Popeyes chicken was selling ten pieces for $10 while KFC was double the cost so I abandoned KFC all together as a customer. Unfortunately, with the down fall of KFC, Popeyes has now doubled or even tripled their price so nowadays, I just spend my money to eat in restaurants instead of fast food places.

[@suzzannegabel1636]

Popeyes opened near us four years ago. We went there once. Never again. We waited 45 minutes for our eat-in order. The staff was too busy waiting on the drive through, I guess. When we finally got our food, it wasn't worth the wait. Lukewarm at best and only so-so.

[@Calamity_Jack]

No kidding, you can eat at many nice sit-down restaurants now for about the same price they charge for fast food. And don't get me started on the employees they hire nowadays. When I pull up I often just get a blank stare, not saying anything to me. They hand me the bag and off I go, never a word exchanged. Fast food places are hiring anyone with a pulse - no customer service skills required.

[@fabolousjada5070]

Thats what happened in the late 90s no lie

[@RRaucina]

8 for $10 now so I buy again... but chester fried can be better for less.

[@texan2u]

In the 60's & 70's the chicken was great. Now it's crap - not making money? Go figure that !

[@BCNeil]

and remember. "Spicy" chicken, is just the chicken that is starting to rot and they need to hide the rotting taste by overpowering spice.

[@roymcewen8203]

I met the Colonel when I was 12 years old on my way to play Little League Baseball and I had missed dinner. The small local family grocery store at the end of my street had just been converted into something called Kentucky Fried Chicken and there was an older gentleman in a white suit standing alone in front of the new establishment. I went over to him to ask what the new place was all about and he explained that it served the best fried chicken sold anywhere. I said I had a baseball game but would come back tomorrow with money to try this new chicken. He smiled and asked an employee to give me a dinner for free !! This was very exciting and the food was excellent. The fries were exceptional from what I was used to and it was all very exciting. I did not quite understand that he was the owner of a huge chain of KFCs entering Canada.

[@billiyonaire]

KFC in the 🇺🇸 is the worst it’s just salty and very unhealthy. Best KFC I’ve eaten is in Jamaica 🇯🇲 I heard the rest of Caribbean KFCs are great also

[@roymcewen8203]

@@billiyonaire Yes that’s true. I would add that the chicken now at least in Canada is somewhat greasy on top of what you said, however in the 1960s I remember it being so much better and miles above the other choices that were out there. I think we have to see KFC as an important historical part of the creation of the fast food industry. There are many unhealthy choices out there and KFC is just one of them. I don’t eat it a lot now, but when I do I have happy memories of having it as a child and meeting the Colonel : )

[@nw8000]

Hey great story thanks for telling us, I eat KFC now and then I am glad they kept his image for the brand

[@billiyonaire]

@@roymcewen8203 well to be honest who would have thought the place where it was invented it’s so distasteful. They have butchered the colonel recipe and I would like to think he is turning in his grave. I hope you cherish those memories.

[@robertajennings3815]

Awesome,,,wish I could have met the guy,,,,best chicken ever,,,,good luck ....

[@mikegilbert2329]

I grew up in Kentucky and used to get my hair cut at the same barber shop as the Colonel. I even remember seeing him collecting for the Salvation Army in a shopping mall in Louisville. He was a very sweet person around children, but if he was a handful everywhere else. places. In restaurants, if he didn't like the looks of the food he was served he would throw the plate in the floor and demand that the chef do it over. He lived in Simpsonville, Kentucky and had a restaurant called Claudia Sanders Dinner House. It is still there and owned by the family.

[@Jadon.MacCormack]

Thanks for sharing, might go there if I go to Kentucky in the next decade

[@greyhairedsnake9427]

Wow, thanks for the information. Interesting.

[@SimRacingVeteran]

How dare he have high standards for his brand. Outrageous.

[@JayceeOnYouTube]

@@SimRacingVeteran OP said he'd do that "at restaurants", never specified them being KFCs

[@AlvoriaGPM]

Decline in quality is absolutely on point. I remember one time years ago my family and I went to KFC. Awful experience. The "Extra Crispy" was absolutely soggy and tasted like wet cardboard smells. We pretty much immediately walked out, swearing never to eat at a KFC again. It doesn't take too many families having experiences like that and making similar vows before there's just no customer base anymore.

[@TheReviewLabOfficial]

I’m with you. The crispy sucks now. Remember when it was big crunchy pieces? Not now. Urgh

[@kaythailee4767]

Agree. No amount of marketing can help when the product is no longer good. I used to have craving for it. But after a few disappointment, I don't really want it anymore, especially when it is unhealthy.

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[@ragingdemon9868]

For me, over past few years, quality of kfc chicken had been very much hit or miss, regardless of franchise location. And recently, it had been bad almost every time. I stopped going to kfc and opt for popeyes these days. Popeyes chicken simply taste much better, though I do prefer the kfc special spices...

[@REXae86]

Pretty much. It’s been over a decade since my family went there.

[@fge00]

They got too expensive and they just started to disappear. It's hard to find one now, not to mention the menu is almost unintelligible now.

[@jimcoulter5877]

I will tell you, they priced themselves out of Business. About 5 years ago I went to purchase a bucket of Chicken, and they wanted 52 dollars! I just turned around and purchased Tacos they sell under Taco Bell. I told them I would not be purchasing any more Chicken. All these Years later I have not been inside a KFC. They Priced themselves out of Business.

[@Greenfrom3]

Agreed. I actually almost laughed the last time I went in there. It shouldn't be cheaper to feed my family tbone steaks

[@daintree98]

Many KFCs sell Halal chicken, which costs more to bless by a Mufti.

[@Nookdashiddole]

Underrated comment

[@Iconic_maya9]

Wthh 52 $?!

[@poncharitaville]

I can't believe anyone goes to KFC anymore, especially in Canada. I was a die hard KFC customer. Here in Canada years ago they started cutting pieces into smaller pieces and charging almost twice the price overnight. I was so pissed that i stopped going altogether. I was with a friend one night and she wanted KFC for dinner, so we went. It was absolutely terrible, pretty much inedible we threw most away and now the price is even twice the price of the last time I was there. The Colonal would vomit if he knew what they did to his amazing chicken. So sad to see what has happened to almost every business. Everything is terrible and way over priced. I'm gunna miss you KFC.

[@corners23251]

Where do they get that fluorescent green cabbage? It's scary.

[@Barbara-jq2se]

Re:comment: 👆I hear ya. That’s a revolting experience! Much like just putting terrible grease in your mouth. And it’s very true the Colonel would be really disturbed & probably even have something to say about the destroying of his delicious recipe. I question if he’d stay quiet about this!

[@darshilmashru8479]

Did you go KFC or PFK?

[@jameslafreniere9458]

Yes that's so true and places are run poorly. I stopped long ago too. I'm in Michigan

[@user-yn9mx7xu1r]

I keep telling myself that this time it’s gonna be good, but every single time I get disappointed. I shouldn’t give them any chances anymore. With every bite I first feel a mouthful of oil going down my throat and it’s only then when I can taste the chicken! Also I usually get upset stomach and diarrhea right away. My husband does too. I am also from Canada

[@counterfeitsaint7479]

I think of KFC the same way I think of Subway. For years they were the only fast food restaurant offering their particular type of food, and they got huge and complacent. Now there are several other chains offering the same type of food but better quality, there's little reason to keep going to the original. I also think that being publicly traded will universally result in a lower quality product.

[@Raskolnikov70]

That's a great point I'm not sure CM covered as well as he could have in the video. I'd been going to KFC since the early 70's and saw in real time how the quality dropped as more and more fried chicken places opened up. The one that gave them stiff competition in my town was Roy Rogers/Hardee's. They offered fried chicken of similar quality for WAY cheaper because it was only one item on a large menu. You could bring a bunch of people there when some people (but not everyone) wanted fried chicken and people could order whatever they wanted. KFC did try to branch out a bit but they could never compete with another big fast food chain offering a similar and cheaper product.

[@wrenlmao124]

It's true, I think its about complacency. They were big in the 90s and they just kinda stopped trying. The newer companies are doing something new or just keeping up with the times.

[@ericwalker8382]

For sure, Chik-Fil-A, Zaxbys, and Popeyes destroy KFC. Then you have Jersey Mike's, Firehouse Subs, and Jimmy John's putting Subway out of business.

[@uselessinformation3634]

That bottom statement is completely true. A family member of mine used to work for UPS when they were still a private company and said that the company actually cared for the workers, gave their employees stuff like turkeys for Thanksgiving, etc. All of that stopped once UPS went public. As somebody that used to work at Worldport (UPS's Global Hub), nobody working there gives a shit. UPS employs at least 80% college kids to do the work but there's no accountability. I could throw your package around, smash it down in the bags, etc. and there was no consequences.

[@GeorgeMonet]

It's the leveraged buyout that kills the corporation. The buying corporation raises the price and reduces the value to try to payback the bonds it took out within 5-6 years. But this destroys the purchased company as it drives away customers who might not come back.

[@martinbones681]

Price is probably my biggest complaint. And it's down to greed. The usual length of time it takes to raise chickens to a supermarket standard is about 8 weeks. KFC used to buy this sized bird. Now they want birds at six weeks for the simple reason that they buy chicken by the pound, but sell it by the PIECE. It's obvious in the size of the buckets they sell....a 12 piece bucket used to be 2 inches taller, but they don't need that space anymore.

[@aarutuno]

I switched from KFC to Popeyes when KFC raised their prices a few years ago. You could get more for $9 at Popeyes than for $11 at KFC, and I never looked back.

[@tonyahinrichs8828]

I switched to Popeyes too but now I'm team chick fil a

[@Kane26510]

Plus, Popeye's has better chicken.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Seemed like KFC was always expensive. Not compared to a sit-down full-service restaurant, but for fast food it was way overpriced. Even back in the 80's and 90's ordering a full meal + drink ran you over $10 which was the price point where fast food stopped feeling fast.

[@Coyotek4]

My wife got me hooked on the chicken sandwiches at Popeyes; I tried the similar fare at KFC, and likely won't do so again.

[@raidenkeify]

Idk it's pretty much the same i just like the cajun flavor alot more

[@otakujoe600]

I live in Japan and KFC is crazy busy for Christmas. Some slick marketing gave KFC the image as the traditional Christmas meal in Japan. They have order forms to fill out weeks in advance to reserve your Christmas fried chicken.

[@darionrobinson1]

I heard KFC good out there.

[@Echo32x]

I love the commercials! People don’t believe when I tell them In Japan Christmas and Mother’s Day are KFC heavy

[@RedsHitpostMedia]

And ITS BETTER THAN THE STATES. WHERE IT GODDAMN ORIGINATED FROM

[@TimmyTickle]

Apparently it originated because Japanese people wanted to emulate the turkey Christmas dinner they'd seen on American movies and TV shows, and KFC was the closest thing they had

[@Midori_Ringo]

@@YourChannel-r4v KFC in Asia and Australia is a completely different beast to what's in the US. You go Indonesia, Japan and Australia and it's completely different but kind of the same - the menus are tailored to local tastes. It's popular in the Philippines as well but Mcdonalds and Jollibee reign supreme there for fast food places. It's fried chicken but not as greasy as what I experienced in the US. The conglomerate that owns KFC - Yum Foods has failed spectacularly with Taco Bell in these areas as a side note. Taco Bells popularity in the US would probably have most people confused in these areas.

[@kirstenspencer3630]

In 1974 I went to a " grand opening " of a KFC. COL SANDERS was greeting the customers. His wife had passed away about 6 months earlier. He looked so tired and frail. I felt so sorry for him. His handlers should have let him simply retire.... I am sure I was not alone in this sentiment......

[@kentbetts]

He didn't want to retire. He wanted to be a part of KFC. The company tried to tell him that it was no longer his company but he couldn't figure it out. He still went into franchise restaurants and told them how to run their business.

[@raheemallen2003]

Friends ALL these calamity's that are going on around the world will lead to a Sunday Law Which will The Mark Of The Beast, Those that keep Gods seventh day sabbath will be prohibited from buying and sell and persecuted. Jesus is coming are you ready?

[@vladimirputindreadlockrast812]

In 1974, you went to a grand opening of Kentucky Fried Chicken. it didn't become KFC until 1991. That marked the beginning of the decline of civilization. No longer did citizens need to learn how to read or spell.

[@anonymousjohnson976]

@@kentbetts : He should have told them how to cook the chicken, because today it is not the same taste as it used to be, not as good. Also, the cole slaw used to be so good too, but now it's not. I have never seen such small chicken either. They need to get back to the "secret recipe" and hire people who know how to actually cook.

[@ryanjofre]

Thanks for Sharing. Unlike Sam Walton who use to do the same thing(greet people at his stores), the Colonel wasn’t a scumbag.

[@ronniewallace5657]

The chicken doesn’t taste the same as it did in the 60’s and 70’s. The recipe is different. It’s not “ finger licking good”anymore!

[@jrxvo6080]

What happened to KFC? I'll tell you what happened: Back in the mid-1990s they removed the 11 herbs and spices from there regular original "11 herbs and spices" batter. And ever since then there was a steady decline of customers. Back in the mid-1990s KFC was sold and purchased by a large conglomerate Corporation. The new owners decided to remove the ONLY best reason why people like eating at Kentucky Fried Chicken. And when I called the new owners of KFC and asked them why they removed the 11 herbs and spices they told me that fewer old people were eating there because the old people thought the chicken was too salty. What a much a bull crap! That was NOT the reason. They got rid of the 11 herbs and spices because that was the most expensive ingredient of that particular batter. They did it ONLY for additional major cash profits so that they could more quickly pay off the purchase cash price of KFC. And I remember, before KFC sold out to some cheap ass corporate conglomerate, I used to notice how other people at the KFC restaurants would finish eating all the meat off the chicken bones and then they would carefully pick off the leftover chunks of batter of the 11 herbs and spices and eat those leftover chunks of batter because of how good a flavor it was. And ever since they removed the 11 herbs and spices I stopped eating there but occasionally about every five years I would try the chicken again to see if they put at least 50% of the spices back in BUT they did not. They continue to have bland tasting better. These new large corporation conglomerates keep doing these kind of things destroying so many fine once superior quality U.S. products and services. They are slowly helping to turn the United States into another Third World crappy poor quality country.

[@toppingclover7561]

Something you missed in this video, which is great by the way. Price. They got too expensive, even before the pandemic and inflation. Right now in my area, just a 16 piece bucket of chicken in $30.99 not including tax. For that amount, I can go to my local Kroger and get 16 pieces of fried chicken ($12), a carton of microwaveable mashed potatoes ($3.99) 2 cans of veggies ($1) and 4 6 packs of soda ($12) and still have a few bucks left over. There was a time when the prices at KFC were reasonable.

[@lucascady4992]

Way too expensive!! I went order a 8pcs family meal the other day, thinking it was still $20... Nope $29 dollar's for 8pcs of chicken, instant potatoes, powder gravy, and 4 biscuits... No thanks, I can make it better at home for less than half the price!!!

[@bigstupidgrin]

Yeah they're competing with sit-down restaurants at that point.

[@rheawelsh4142]

To be fair that's also because the price of chicken in general spiked first before general inflation

[@jenniferbrunson8671]

I may be wrong but it seems like other countries have higher standards for their food than we do. Maybe that's why it taste better overseas. On the price in 2022, even with all the inflation, KFC's prices haven't gone up. I don't think it's as good as it used to be though.

[@KelvinWorks]

In Los Angeles just last week, the price for an 8 piece bucket with two side was 30.99 not including tax. I was shocked! Odds are I won't be back anytime soon.

[@proudcanadian5713]

The single biggest problem with KFC is the changes in cooking the chicken. In fact, there's a video on KZbin SHOWING how they cooked the chicken back in the 60's and it's brilliant. When I was a kid growing up in the 60's, I LOVED KFC and there was a location just down the street that I lived on. When they were cooking it up, the smells blanketed half a block and it made your mouth water. NOW, go anywhere near a location as they're cooking and the smells make you want to throw up. I would make a suggestion that they take a few locations and go back to cooking the food like they did in the 60's. Could call it CLASSIC KFC and I predict they would blow the competition out of the water.

[@mikezylstra7514]

I can't figure out why Church's hasn't grabbed the loose ball and headed for the goal line. Their chicken was way better than KFC for at least 35 years. And all I've seen Church's do in the past 20 years is close restaurants. Stupid idiots.

[@elainemurphy2406]

I agree KFC has changed alot since the early 80's when I first had it, its nowhere near as nice now. Something in the recipe has changed drastically and I think the colonel would turn in his grave if he knew.

[@JohnSmith-nj4zq]

Back in the 60's, you can use lard or bacon fat as the oil to cook the chickens. That's what made the chicken tasting finger licking good.

[@proudcanadian5713]

@@JohnSmith-nj4zq That's what they were using, Lard. Could still use it today but they switched out because it was too expensive and then fed us BS about how it was so bad for us.

[@guysumpthin2974]

Seemed like the venting stopped when the owner died , tables and chairs were covered in grease (you can write your name in the grease film) . Also , get the aluminum out of the biscuits , and put real honey in the “honey” packets (corn syrup and sugar is not the same as honey)

[@secretbeach999]

I can tell you exactly what happened, I experienced it first hand recently: the owners have no idea what’s going on and they have no idea how to train, or put in place leaders to train their staff.

[@phillipholland6795]

Popeyes. That's what happened.

[@sandybruce9092]

We had a Popeye’s where I live until it closed before Covid. I did like them but it was just a bit too spicy for me! I’ll give them another try when I can find one!

[@eq2092]

My issue is that every other time I go they are out of chicken. 😂

[@vitajazz]

I worked for KFC. The biggest disaster to the taste of the food was a change in handling the spices. At first the chicken was washed in the egg wash, then rolled in the herbs and spices, then rolled in flour, this kept the spices close to the chicken so the flavour was crisped into the meat. But then they switched to including the spices in the egg wash, followed by the flour, so the spices were not rolled into the skin of the chicken, thus hardly any taste was left Also switching from gas cookers to electrics cookers with a shorter precook and higher pressure cook period did not as evenly cook the meat.

[@braddeicide]

I started at KFC 28 years ago and the egg was powdered and mixed with spices into the flower which chicken was rolled in (after dunking in water). How long ago were you there?

[@vitajazz]

@@braddeicide 1971 to 1977.

[@Neoprenesiren]

Have you never made chicken before? Putting spices in the egg wash is far better, actually what you just described is the exact same thing. The egg wash literally combines with the flour and spices into one whole layer. If it didn't you wouldn't be able to have fried chicken because you would never form a crust.

[@braddeicide]

@@Neoprenesiren That's his point. He liked when KFC did it that way, they later switched to water wash, then pressing the chicken into an industrial sized bag of flower that has a packet of powdered egg and a packet of spices mixed through it.

[@Neoprenesiren]

@@braddeicide sure that must be it

[@mikecagle984]

"Decline"? That place been declining fpr years! Prices are outrageous and quality of their food is nowhere NEAR what it used to be!

[@Loydstardeli2017]

Employees wages affected the food prices, it not KFC fault but stale fried chicken sometimes & terrible & horrible French fries &biscuts are KFC fault

[@jimcoulter5877]

They cut corners and raised prices, that was the downfall of KFC. It is their own fault they are falling away.

[@gucciguy3408]

Can't remember when there was a time that i'd choos KFC over any other chicken place. Seen better quality chicken in local gas stations and Albertsons was always better as a kid. Good biscuits and Mash I guess...Not much for their chicken ever since my birth in the 90s.

[@Loydstardeli2017]

@@gucciguy3408 when kfc chicken is fresh out of the cooker it very competotive with other chicken some custumer request that, kroger fried chicken is decent out of the cooker, kfc french fries& biscuts are very bad

[@jrxvo6080]

But, what I don't understand is why the new owners of KFC back in the mid-1990s did that? Why did they remove the infamous "Colonels 11 herbs and spices"? I, and millions of other KFC customers, simply just stop eating there because of that and we never went back again to eat their boring and tasteless chicken batter.

[@the-kilted-trucker59]

As a trucker I have been to several KFC'S, the quality of the food varies greatly. Some of the stores where so dirty I didn't even order. It has become a far cry from the KFC of the 60's and 70's.

[@aliasofanalias7448]

I was born in the 90s and I remeber kfc used to be greasy and succulent but not dirty you know? Now it's just dry and dirty

[@martinportelance138]

Yeah exactly. One doesn't know anymore what he'll get.

[@dianalord5825]

You even the KFCs in the hood don't taste right.

[@patrickancona1193]

@@aliasofanalias7448 born in 68, had one of the franchises the Colonel personally taught the owner nearby, it was incredibly good, so good kids saved their nickels just to get a meal, 3 piece, only had the 3 piece meal, mashed taters, slaw & a biscuit, or gtfo, it stayed great until the owners son lost it in a divorce in the 80’s, overnight it went to crap, I miss Kentucky Fried Chicken, you can keep kfc whatever the hell that cap is

[@beesafesweetheart8738]

I loved kfc in the 90s as a kid, damn wish I could have tried it then... No chemicals hey if anything you had the first chemicals and gmo chicken they been doing this shit forever

[@wolfgangp2292]

I don’t know whether you know or not but in Australia in the late 70’s KFC was selling rabbit as chicken and was caught out and was all over the news and they nearly went broke.

[@melgreier1630]

My issue with KFC has been the flavour ... I remember as a child and young adult, loving the zingy taste of the herbs & spices flavour, but now, I’ve gone several times hoping that the previous times were just ‘bad days’ but there is 0 flavour. The chicken tastes like cardboard, the fries have no flavour and the gravy (which was one of my favourites) is about as tasty as tap water.

[@loydkline]

Kfc fried chicken 🍗 🐔 is stale unless it a freshly made; French fries 🍟 are bad & biscuits are terrible; bring back potatoes wedges

[@tetrafuse3096]

@@loydkline wtf did I just read

[@loydkline]

@tetrafuse3096 don:t like Kentucky fried chicken 🍗 chicken unless it fresh made French fries are bad like potatoes wedges alot better; biscuits are terrible

[@tetrafuse3096]

@@loydkline why cant you just talk like a normal person

[@controlhallgaming8748]

@@loydkline I AGREED with you bring back potato wedges and bbq pulled chicken sandwich and ill go buy a meal

[@johndamenillusionist4342]

Quality is the killer. One of my first jobs way back when I was 17 years old was a KFC as a cook. I still remember to this day how meticulous the manager and assistant manager were about quality control (as well as cleanliness of the store). They would literally sample every tray of chicken that came out, every bisquit tray, the slaw...you name it. And more so, they could tell when even the slightest thing was off just by appearance and taste of the food. They'd know if the chicken wasn't marinated long enough, or if the bisquit dough wasn't mixed properly simply by taste, and if it wasn't right, they would not allow it to be sold and we'd have to make more...lol, no joke. Nowadays that type of dedication to product quality, and pride in who they were barely exists. I walk into a KFC now, taste the food and it's merely a shadow of what it once was back in the day. That's the simple fact.

[@ChickenMcThiccken]

was also less illegals in america in the 80's.

[@iamcleaver6854]

​@@ChickenMcThiccken I is funny how we have a similar situation in Russia. MacDonalds would only hire Russian and Belorussian citizens, respect underage labour laws and would have stringent quality control. KFC on the other hand hires illegal migrats doesn't mind teenagers working night shifts (which is a violation of Russian labour laws) and somehow manages to be 50% more expensive.

[@richardwarren7492]

@@ChickenMcThiccken Sure that's it. How about this? Stop being an a$$ hole.

[@jarate8076]

@@ChickenMcThiccken false analogy

[@Eric-jk3oi]

That's how am with Popeyes macaroni and cheese. God love that stuff! It's so delicious. Makes me nut

[@me0101001000]

I used to teach English in Tokyo, and let me tell you how big of a sensation KFC is. Every Christmas, it's a national tradition, especially in bigger cities, to get KFC. It started as a marketing move, and it has very clearly stuck. I'm aware of how big KFC is in Korea, Taiwan, and China as well, but I'm not aware of any Christmas tradition. If someone knows if it exists, let me know. But yeah, in Japan, KFC has become enshrined in Japanese culture.

[@FWDSUXARSE]

Last time I was in Japan (about 6 years ago) I too learned just how popular it is in Japan.

[@dane1382]

and the tradition is viewed as having come from america

[@evilmejosh]

The tradition is viewed as that it's an American tradition that's why it's popular because of that perception. It was started by a Japanese KFC franchisee I think in the '70s or '80s and it just became belief that Americans did it so the Japanese would do it lol. Even though in America we either do ham or turkey (sometimes duck,etc)

[@andygraning2190]

@@evilmejosh MatPat did a video about it that was kind of interesting kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppzdgqmOjsZkm8U

[@evilmejosh]

@@andygraning2190 yeah I saw a video on it from somebody else too. It's really interesting marketing move, that's created a cultural tradition

[@zach11241]

Their food went from really good to shitty Their service went from good to shitty Their prices went from okay to really shitty Their marketing went from shitty to shitty

[@lukecat3825]

I was a teen in the 60s and actually worked at the local KFC for a short time. The one thing I miss and almost no one remembers is the original gravy. It was real thick and fresh made style gravy. Not like the “Motor oil” looking liquid they call gravy today. We would get a quart of gravy and a dozen rolls (biscuits) and just eat it alone. They changed the rolls also. If that gravy recipe was still around it would be gold.

[@damonlam9145]

I doubt you know or remember the gravy recipe but just out of curiosity since you did work there did you seen how it was made or at least tried to replicate the gravy?

[@RedSpade37]

it do be motor oil lookin tho

[@patyoung7802]

@@damonlam9145 I worked at KFC from 1968 for 8 years. That gravy was made by straining the oil used during frying and using this bits that were left over (like we make gravy at home today). We used the seasoned flour to mix with the bits and added water. It WAS delish. We went through at least 6 gallons a day. I shudder to think what that stuff they call gravy is now but it's tasteless. BTW: wwe used solid Kraft shortning to cook the chicken...not oil. All our chickens were the same size. They had to be since they were cooked with timer and cooked under pressure.

[@MrEjohnston]

Something definitely has changed. About 4 years ago I had KFC, it was horrible, nothing like the KFC I remember as a kid.

[@Spacecadet690]

for some reason no one can seem to notice the correlation between KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and many other chains being bought by Yum Brands then taking a dive in quality again and again and again as they use cheaper and cheaper products and often upped the filler and used ingredients that mimicked the real thing and are nothing but a cocktail of chemicals. I've even pointed it out and the cognitive dissonance kicks in high gear and they mutter on about other NPC versions of reality where it's not the same people having bought and wrecked all those chains. Look at any restaurant under the Yum Brands umbrella and tell me everyone of them wasnt a complete 180 in food quality and cooking processes during the late 90's.

[@johniii8147]

Tastes change and you get use to better food as you get older in a lot of cases. Didn't even like them much as a kid (other than the fried chicken original skin. And their sides have always been awful.

[@johniii8147]

@@DieWitnessWell that's fried chicken in general.

[@Wally97523]

I agree with your comment completely. I stopped at a KFC in Cheyenne, Wyoming while traveling. I was a ways away from Cheyenne. When I pulled over to eat, there was a piece of plastic webbing in the chicken caulked into the coating. KFC was a regular dinner for me after my wife passed away. Not anymore I haven’t been to a KFC since that happened. I sent feedback to the company and of course I got no response.

[@gioluvs1893]

​@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist2shut up!

[@jivepatrol6833]

I haven't eaten at KFC in at least 25 years. The food is absolutely garbage!

[@pamelamays4186]

I'm from a time when KFC mashed potatoes and gravy were made from scratch. When I was a kid with a single Mom who was also a college student, going to KFC was a treat.

[@sixletters9759]

I remember the days when the potatoes and gravy were great. Now the potatoes taste like a box of dehydrated potato flakes, that they've added too much water to them. The gravy taste like salty wallpaper paste.

[@dan44zzt231]

Same for me. My family didn't have much and KFC was like a birthday or special occasion treat. The food used to way better but also more expennive. Seems like prices haven't risen all that much but they've sacrificed quality massively.

[@blitzmom2674]

Can’t believe you didn’t mention the price. It is ridiculously expensive. And at a time when you could buy a supermarket rotisserie chicken for 5$. Also their pieces were not thigh breast etc but often broken up halves of pieces.

[@NattyPi]

the price is definetly the biggest issue. I havent eaten KFC since 2011 when the double down came out. Their 10 piece is like $50 bucks wtf

[@williewonka6694]

Rotisserie chicken is a loss-leader in most supermarkets. They lose money on the chicken to lure customers into the store. Notice the chicken is located far from the store entrance?

[@GregMoress]

@@williewonka6694 You mean in front of the check-out aisles? Along with the baked bread? Places like Wal-Mart would get those customers anyway, the cheap food is just another razor-thin profit margin they accept to eliminate the competition.

[@Psythik]

Nah it's not the price, it's the quality. bb.q Chicken (a Korean fried chicken joint) recently came to my town. It costs literally twice as much as KFC, yet they're *always* slammed to the point where they often have to close early due to running out of chicken. You want to know why? Because it's some of the most delicious fried chicken one could have. It's so tantalizingly juicy and has *just* the right amount of crispiness. KFC always comes out mushy and overcooked, even if you order extra crispy. *That's* why they're failing. Price has nothing to do with it.

[@amdenis]

Because their chicken smells like sewage-literally. Cheap, poorly managed chicken supply. Ate it i the 70’s-80’s couldn’t eat it now.

[@Hero-hs4gt]

I remember KFC after church on a Sunday would be packed and it was hard to get a booth or a table. People would wait on you at KFC like a real restaurant and take your order. Those memories of my dad and my grandad is what I have left. When they're gone they're gone. Some of the best times of my life and I didn't even know it.

[@Wade_Fucking_Wilson]

" you don't know what you have until it's gone" sums up nostalgia 😢

[@martincolton32]

It’s absolutely rancid now. The chips are rank, the chicken is horrible. And it’s ridiculously overpriced. I’m wounded as I used to love it.

[@timothykaczmarek5871]

The price for KFC is completely outrageous. Remember back in the day, they had weekend sales on buckets of chicken and their take out locations had lines out the door and down the street

[@Pete391]

The price is cheaper than many fast foods......

[@timothykaczmarek5871]

@Pete391 Dude I don't know where the hell YOU have been eating but paying 20.00 for 8 pieces of chicken is OUTRAGEOUS. Paying 36.00 for 12 pieces of chicken, and you think THAT'S REASONABLE? YOU'RE DEFINITELY DELUSIONAL.

[@BobRooney290]

$4 worth of 8 pieces of chicken they sell for $30. their stores are always empty when walking by for lunch and dinner every day. cant imagine why.

[@timothykaczmarek5871]

@@BobRooney290 ABSOLUTELY agree!!

[@deedsofdecapitation7477]

The price on everything these days is outrageous.

[@alberteinsteinthejew]

Is it just me or the original chicken taste changed dramatically compared to the 90s?

[@jeffreyalexander9274]

They used to use lard for their fryers, came in reinforced cardboard drums. They changed the use of that 20 years ago

[@mikecagle984]

It most definately has...

[@Defe353]

In 2015 i ate the original in india, and i miss it now.

[@michaelarrowood4315]

It's totally difference. I remember the real original from the 60's and 70's - that product is NOT for sale at KFC these days.

[@VelveteenRabbit77]

Something is wrong with it. Its not chicken with white flour batter any more. There is something funky some chemicals or something being used. It makes BOTH of us sick when we eat it. Its VERY strange. We eat Publix fried chicken gas station fried chicken but KFC makes us sick. Whats up with that???

[@TruthReviews]

The customer service in London is shocking. I never went back after I asked if I could swap chips as part of the meal deal for corn and the manager screamed at me about he isn’t giving free food away. I complained to their customer line and they didn’t bother to get back to me. The staff always look like they would rather be dead than working there.

[@BUYBOTH]

I liked KFC when it was mostly chicken meat. It gradually became a thick coating of spicy chrispy batter with a chicken center. Portions shrunk and prices rose. We used to get KFC weekly. Now I might stop in once every few years and get reminded why I don't eat there.

[@harrysmusicroom]

exactly right.

[@gumpyoldbugger6944]

Agreed

[@rrob692326]

Try buying a fricken 16 piece bucket of their stinking chicken only, in Hawaii, for the bargain price of a mere 73 Bucks and change, only to toss out a third of it! because it was so damn lousy! Really, an honest thief would just use a gun to rob you!!

[@joeybleu66]

is the breading some of that factory food we been hearing about?

[@ratdad48]

@rrob692326 Indeed. The breading makes up half of the leg or breast of the damn hatchling they are serving you.

[@agems56]

I grew up in the sixties with KFC, and find it amazing how employees in those days were men in their mid 20's to thirties, supporting families, and then when fast food outlets became synonymous with outsourcing, and hiring cheap labor, everything went downhill!

[@wumpus808]

couldn't agree more. honestly kinda shows why society nowadays is in a sense, a failure.

[@tomspencer4371]

Illegal immigrants and legal immigrants coming from dirt hole countries.

[@15collitm]

@@tomspencer4371 lol I've seen tons of meth heads from the boonies too

[@tomspencer4371]

@@15collitm Meth heads are everywhere unfortunately.

[@blackoutgstar9949]

not only that. when they started making fast food companies change the recipes because of trans fat mcdonalds isn't close to what it used to be, barely tolerable at some locations even pizza pizza is not the same pizza as it used to be

[@canerkose7769]

When Mr Sanders Passed away, I think the secret recipe went with him! I remember the term Finger licking Good and really was! Those day's are long Gone!

[@gordonhblair]

It's been said around here in his old home of Louisville, Kentucky, that when Colonel Harlan Sanders sold his ownership of the company he founded in 1964, he kept the Original recipe he developed, and gave the new owners a modified version of it. Which they kept altering over the years, to save money. Sanders, on the other hand, kept the true original recipe he developed, in the family. Today, if you want to taste chicken made with the actual seasoning mix that made Colonel Sanders Famous, The locals say Sanders's true recipe is still in use today, at the chain of Chicken Restaurants founded 2 years later, by Sanders' Nephew, and former employee, Lee Cummings, called "Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken" When Cummings started selling fried Chicken in the neighboring state of Ohio in 1966, Lee Cummings' fried chicken was already branded "Famous Recipe" because the seasoning mix already was. It was the same, famous recipe that started the Famous Chicken Restaurants his Uncle Harlan Sanders founded. Some say that the new owners of KFC attempted to sue Cummings, so Cummings also dips his raw Chicken in honey to make it slightly different (probably to appease the court)

[@alfredliggins8510]

Lee's here in Muskegon Michigan​@@gordonhblair

[@MrWhitmen1981]

Kentucky chicken in Japan is closer to the original. Restaurants need to move closer to that model.

[@Barbara-jq2se]

Re: comment: 👆💯% agree with this sentiment! I too remember the past with his special chicken & his cute saying! Yum 😋

[@Barbara-jq2se]

Re: comment: 👆Yeah. I too remember those days. Way back then.

[@jerradriggs2884]

Let's be honest KFC has always been greasy and just average quality. Stores like Costco have whole chickens for $5 and it's better quality than KFC. I do love their coleslaw though.

[@daviddinu1089]

I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Americans don't have it as bad as we do. A few years ago, KFC in Canada decided to cut their thighs in half as they claimed their Chickens were oversized. Can you imagine half of a thigh and counting that as 1 piece. The pieces looked so weird and unrecognizable as a thigh.

[@waynejohanson1083]

Pieces are small. As for me I prefer Mary Brown's.

[@Jamie-1985]

Also from Toronto. They lost me when they discontinued their mixed veggie salad and macaroni. They were nice complements to the rest of their menu but apparently too $ for them. Mr Sub lost me too when for similarly reasons they discontinued their milkshakes. Companies monomaniac focus kills then for regular dining.

[@Iambetterthanyouanduknowit]

I’m from the 6ix too I swear it’s pigeon meat from Dundas square 😂😂😂

[@andrewz6986]

For me the final blow was making the gravy watery and bland

[@JamesJohnson-ig6of]

@@waynejohanson1083 BRO, I live in Minnesota. There is a local KFC in my smaller city where I'll shop. I stopped by to pick up a bucket of original, went home, and never was so disappointed. The pieces were small, and greasy. And, concurring with another comment, I found small pieces or fragments of bone under the coating. A few years before, a buddy and I had to travel to the Twin Cities. We stopped at KFC along the highway, advertising a "buffet", which was actually good, with BBQ chicken featured.

[@dandejoux2622]

Was a Sunday night staple in college when the dorms didn't serve dinner. Now it's too expensive, greasy and small portions.

[@seanswinton6242]

True. We decided to try some locally owned places. The service and food were better, especially the chicken. They also had wings as an option like Wingstop.

[@StsFiveOneLima]

And also crappy chicken pieces, most of which are dry as the wind.

[@Barbara-jq2se]

Re: comment: 👆Basically wrecked/destroyed the Colonels special creations! 🙂‍↔️not smart.

[@adamlevine6700]

I lived in England for a time and when I first moved there, I told a coworker to take me to a cool local food place, and he brought me to a KFC. He assumed we didn't have them in America. I rhetorically asked him "do you know what KFC stands for?"

[@xJinRaGna]

People in the UK and other European countries have a hard time knowing U.S states my guy.

[@daharos]

@@xJinRaGna yeah well Fried Chicken is not known as a European specialty either, so.. yeah.

[@XVXC-M8]

@@daharos England has been getting very popular for their "chicken shops" and now a lot of US fast food brands are coming here.

[@deathpyre42]

reminds me of that one British comedy sketch where the TSA guy says he prefers English food like pizza or Chinese.

[@mattyian1208]

Kentucky Fried Chicken

[@nicholasbrowning4558]

As part of a corporate conglomerate they lost sight of the importance of quality control. Actually Dave Thomas,the founder of Wendy's turned the company around by teaching managers one store at a time how to properly cook

[@brodiedriscoll2003]

The KFC in Australia is fantastic, easily our most popular fast food chain. I tried KFC in America and was shocked at how different it was...pretty much not even the same food at all it was way worse!

[@keeleeng]

I agree.. had it in the US and it was rubbish and at that time had no burgers, the place was small and dirty.

[@BassBanj0]

Same here in the UK, it's still really big and a close second to McDonald's They are still opening restaurants quite often and are seen as one of the best It seems to be one of the chains that varies drastically from country to country

[@scottgfx]

I didn't know they had KFCs in Austria… (kidding)

[@grndzro777]

In the US go to Popeyes. Most supermarkets also have pretty good chicken. I'v found that Save Mart's is particularly tasty.

[@indevelopment3453]

wicked wings \m/>.

[@paulholmes1303]

One of the biggest problems I've found is the massive reduction of the spice ratio. I had a one KFC here in Richardson Texas that the KFC always tasted like I remembered from the 70's, 80's and 90's, both chicken and and the signature spices in harmony. In the last couple of decades, most KFC's started just having fried chicken, the spice flavor was nonexistent. After my Richardson place changed managers, it too, started getting more and more bland. I assume the issue is a lot of the franchisees do not want to spend extra for the spice blend as sold by the parent company so they either reduce it or eliminate it entirely, assuming people only care about breaded chicken. Only problem with that is if they sell generic fried chicken they will become part of a crowd where people only go because it is locally convenient or priced competitively. Oh Well.

[@setcheck67]

This! It's not even just KFC... A lot of the Franchisee operators are cutting corners so bad they made circles. One McDonald's I went to sold popcorn and pretzels, but didn't carry the McRib and permanently didn't operate the icecream machine. It's like what... The... Fuck. Don't even get me started on the pinch of salt for the fries or various other penny pinching on ingredients. A microwaved Walmart brand cheeseburger from the frozen aisle tasted more flavorful than those burgers.

[@ronalddavis]

@@setcheck67 never been to a mcdonalds where the ice cream machine worked. they just dont want to clean it

[@pink1433]

@@ronalddavis not the reason. Search for mcdonalds ice cream on you tube and you will get a ton of videos explaining the real reason. And how corporate mcds is trying to stop a fix to the issue

[@clawmachinez26]

My biggest complaint is the customer service. Nearly every time I’ve been there the employees act like I’m inconveniencing them by ordering food.

[@jeffbangle4710]

Exactly. And often none of them speak English (or pretend that they don't).

[@ninjitsuliz9812]

I dont eat there often anymore because all i get is a 6-8 piece wing box, and they were confused even tho its on the menu, yet when i ordered doordash there wasnt any issue.

[@nukemall3678]

@@ninjitsuliz9812 Every time I place an order, they act like they have no idea what I'm talking about when I'm reading directly off of the menu.

[@ninjitsuliz9812]

@@nukemall3678 Exactly!

[@mengelemaestro89]

this is a problem with most fast food joints tbfh

[@David-yf5fo]

I believe it was "Kenny King's", a full service, sit-down, dinning establishment in the Cleveland area that was selling the Kentucky Fried Chicken in the 1960s and 1970s. Many of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises were housed in aluminum sided diners. The last such aluminum sided KFC building that I remember was on Barton Springs Road in Austin, Texas. It was demolished and replaced on the same property with a boxy structure that had a prominent drive through and so forth around 1980 or 1981. 1985 was the last time I ate at a KFC. I got really sick that night and never forget the discomfort I was in almost 40 years later. Practices in food safety were obviously not included in the order.

[@gilbertrios5283]

Always happens like this, a great food place gets sold and the new owners care for nothing except money so they cheapen quality! That's happened to many iconic restaurants today... It's so sad!

[@pshaw8406]

That's the number one issue, the bean counters take over and then the restaurant fails.

[@jax2428]

​@pshaw8406 here in Canada is the turbans that have taken control of EVERY fast food restaurant. I wouldn't go within 5 blocks of one of their restaurants to get food.

[@derrickjustice8891]

You are 100% correct. For new owners, it’s all about the money.

[@TomSpeaks-vw1zp]

They purchase the product but not the passion for the product. Big conglomerates buy these brands for the assets and credit. They rape the company’s good reputation and credit then let it slip away thru cutting costs, services, and quality. Unfortunately there will be many more brands that will bite the dust in this horrible economy. Just this week Hooters is gone for all practical purposes.

[@ocdtechtalk]

This is the business model for these conglomerates. It is exactly what crippled Red Lobster and so many others. It works for the short term, which is all they seem to care about

[@GenSignups]

Here's the real issue (at least for people like me who live in suburbs close to the cities): Why would you spend about $20 for a mass produced, pre-cooked, meal which is really unhealthy when you could spend $15 at the local chicken shop for a charcoal cooked fresh chicken with your choice of sides/sauces which are roughly the same portion size?

[@maggie937]

I mean I've just never heard of a local "chicken shop". I live in suburbs

[@bobby1970]

Charcoal cooked anything doesn't sound all that healthy either.

[@seancascanet1420]

How do you figure? It's grilled or smoked...you can't get healthier than that besides baking...

[@JazzYachtrocker]

Or you could just cook

[@GenSignups]

@@JazzYachtrocker What is this... 'cook'? you speak of? Is that one of those long lost ancient boomer arts?

[@cruehead23]

About 10 years ago in Australia, a girl contracted salmonella from a KFC and ended up in a coma fir 6 months. She came out of it, but she now has severe brain damage, uses a wheelchair and is blind. Her family sued and instead of trying to make any kind of amends, they've fought and fought not to pay out. Bad customer service is an understatement when they do things like that.

[@Abdullah_the_Palestinian]

how are they still popular there?

[@cruehead23]

@@Abdullah_the_Palestinian personal injuries never really hurt big companies. They have the resources to bury things and keep them out of the public eye. The lady at McDonald's wasn't even the first one to suffer from massively overheated coffee, other people had been severely burned by them before but they were able to get out of any negligence charges.

[@Abdullah_the_Palestinian]

@@cruehead23 Sad world we live in. Capitalism allows the rich to buy their way out from consequences

[@cruehead23]

@@Abdullah_the_Palestinian yes it does. And then people blame the victims. The woman from McDonald’s has passed now, and she said before that she was going to die a laughing stock after the gag order McDonald's stuck her with. She didn't even want to sue originally, she just wanted 10k for her medical bills and the only offered her something like $800.

[@mohamadsowaid6275]

I remember that. it was at the villawood kfc

[@madmaxen]

The food tastes artificiall now. The addition of MSG didn’t help.

[@bobdevreeze4741]

My mother knew the Colonel. She had the job of looking after his stay when he came to Toronto. Your accuracy is uncanny. Specially about his complaints . He was not afraid to say it exactly how he thought. I was young ..but I do remember meeting him once.

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

He loved to go dancing. Mom of a great friend had a franchise in Calgary and they'd always go dancing when he visited.

[@TheHiil598]

I've worked at 2 KFC's and I think a big reason for their bad reputation in the US is poor customer service. Managers had no problem with their employees literally yelling at customers and the hiring criteria was basically just "can you walk?"

[@ronk9830]

I saw a restaurant comparison clip recently, and it said KFC has the worst order accuracy of ALL restaurants. Chick-fil-A was the best with Wendy's second.

[@MrAsmith1583]

The KFC in my small town looks like it's about to fall apart and hasn't been updated in 20 years. With "shrinkflation" nowadays the pieces are tiny and whatever meat that is left on the bone is fried to nothing. Agreed the customer service is lacking - the employees don't know the difference between original and extra crispy, thigh vs breast - wing vs leg. Tried to give me 2 thighs and 2 legs in a 4 piece combo and I was like AW HELL NAW!

[@andrewwomble2722]

I haven't been to a KFC in 2 years because my last experience was so bad. I ordered a simple chicken tender combo and they told me to park my car on the side and they would bring it out in a few min. I waited for 20 min and decided to go inside where to my surprise were a lot of other angry people wanting their orders. At that point, the workers were just serving orders based on which customer was the most angry and in their face about it, not by who placed their order first. After the angry crowd cleared, the store manager started putting my order together and just in the middle of prepping it, walked outside for a cigarette and 5 minutes later came back and finished it. It literally took me 1 hour from the time of ordering to actually receiving my chicken strips.

[@ronk9830]

@@andrewwomble2722 Years ago, I was waiting a really long time in the drive-thru, and I started doing something to occupy myself. The line pulled up and I hadn't noticed, and the manager yelled "Hurry up!" to me very rudely. Never went there again. Jerk.

[@DownriverBusinessEventsGroup]

@@ronk9830 The Wendy's that are by me tend to mess up.or forget Items to Orders often.

[@diontury7585]

The original recipe definitely changed some years ago. That was when I stopped eating KFC.

[@LorenzoWilliams-u6e]

Sanders stole that recipe from black woman yrs ago. He couldn't cook

[@burtmcreavy7695]

Actually what happend is the amount of the 11 herbs znd spices were reduced by 40 percent...same ingredients just less taste .

[@tdhtran]

Same here. It doesn’t taste as delicious as before.

[@appletherapy]

Yeah. And they got my order wrong 2/3 times. And I tried various places and same result. I just gave up on it

[@IronMike-f8i]

Chicken is low quality too😢😢😮​@@burtmcreavy7695

[@RobertEwing-v8t]

I started as a bus boy in 1969 at the Sunnyvale, CA location.

[@Pantoja3136]

I recall their bucket of chicken contained at least 16 or more pieces. Today, they consider anything more than 5-6 pieces a bucket. The size of the chicken pieces have definitely changed as well. KFC chicken pieces resemble something a bit larger than pieces from a Cornish hen - but not by much!

[@louisliu5638]

My Indian Game (Cornish) hen is looking at me right now: I call her Lil KFC. She's my "kitchen chicken".

[@louisliu5638]

@@klausschlobluvsmesometwood4679 smaller. the pigeon they used is now extinct. much smaller.

[@reginaldwhite3788]

Yes a bucket of Chicken had at least 10-12 pieces of chicken I’ve gotten 18 it depends on what time you went there and the flavor has changed drastically

[@joebob1603]

For me, the quality and taste hasn't changed very much, but the quantity and price definetly took a huge dip

[@stangreen4134]

Somehow simultaneously dry and greasy.

[@prontsc]

My 5 reasons: 1. Soggy, oily chicken 2. Small sized pieces 3. Expensive 4. In a bucket order, you got the pieces they had too many of 5. The inside restaurant always seemed dirty and greasy

[@erossinema8797]

The last time I was at a KFC, the chicken had a strange after taste, so I stopped going there. That was ten years ago.

[@andreabutitsruth]

I had the hope that a new location near me would be a clean and pleasant place to be in, but even then, it was just a gross place to be in. The drinks machine was moldy, for example.

[@florabarron5878]

@@andreabutitsruth yes cost me $58.78 "for Potato chicken

[@stalloneandrew9961]

idl about this but is this only applied to your country, you should need to see how's my country Malaysia's KFC

[@stephenthomas1492]

@@erossinema8797 - Plenty of times they don't even have the famous spice on the chicken! It's just bland, sub-par chicken.

[@davidletasi3322]

We have noticed over the last several years how few customers are in KFC, and their parking lots are usually empty. The last time we ate there, the price was outrageously high. I would love to get a bucket of chicken from them, but the price is just too high, and the quality has dropped significantly.

[@faraz596]

It's a completely story here in Pakistan KFC is still very popular among the masses and here parking is almost full so you can China Pakistan and even UAE

[@campbelltsamuel]

I just went there a few days ago. If you order mobile. They had a deal for a 8pc for $10. That with a large side of Mac and potatoes oh and their new 8pc spicy wings. I paid $30. That fed me and 3 kids with leftovers. KFC is cheap if you know what to order.

[@Ken-ue9ny]

There food is SHIT

[@masercot]

I stopped going in the nineties when every KFC I went to smelled of rotting chicken...

[@postholedigger8726]

This is the same thing that happens to many other companies. When companies become large and successful, experienced knowledgeable employees are systematically replaced with inexperienced MBAs who have little or no real world work experience. They have impressive paper credentials from highly acclaimed business schools, but little EDUCATION in the field they are attempting to manage. Long term vision is replaced with quarterly financial reports followed by clueless cost cutting measures. Experienced managers and executives are replaced with golfing partners and ex fraternity brothers. In the case of KFC, the people in decision making positions have no clue about what a properly cooked piece of chicken should taste like. To cut costs, real mashed potatoes are replaced with boiled laundry starch, crutal seasonings, that previously set KFC chicken apart from other recipes, are omitted, and cooking times are sped up to increase product output per hours of operation. If that isn't enough, they require their employees to irritate the customers by blasting the room with crappy loud music and saying a disingenuous "HELL-OH-OH" when they come into the restaurant. The customers hate it, the employees hate it but the clueless MBAs in the corporate offices don't have to listen to it and pat themselves on the back for enforcing the concept. The combination of a cheapened food product combined with an irritating dining experience eventually registers with the customers and they stop dining there. PHD

[@robertcuminale1212]

You've just described AT&T several years before the break up and after. AT&T's management training program at the local phone companies took every college grad through almost every department in the company. Some reached a point they were good at and stayed there. Others kept advancing upward through the company with some becoming Vice presidents and presidents. Others were grabbed by AT&T in New York. No CEO of AT&T ever made that position unless he had served as President of Pacific Telephone and Telegraph, New York Telephone, New Jersey Bell and Illinois Bell. They were our biggest and most complex companies. In the 1970s the MBAs came in. They knew nothing about the business and even less about customer service. Despite our size every customer was treated the same no matter how small they were. Service standards were high high as well as training for the technicians. The MBAs had us running the least profitable accounts off. That let our competitors in which gave them more name recognition and more sales. The MBAs forgot that we were regulated by the states and the federal government and couldn't sell our equipment nor could we undercut the leasing prices. And we had government service standards that were at times impractical and expensive to provide. We could not compete and the other companies were cherry picking our most profitable accounts and services. Eventually AT&T gave up. Even then it was required to provide services to our competitors for less than we charged our other customers. Customers regardless stayed with us because of our service level but eventually that wasn't enough. The MBAs had slashed our budgets that customers overlooked that advantage to look at other companies. On 1-1-84 we broke up amid great confusion. That didn't help keep customers. The sales department became cut throat enough to other department's revenues. The layoffs started and employees were demoralized. We watched the customer base disappear because sales sold only the products with the most commission for them. They didn't look at the future of selling more of our products to them. On October 31 1985 22,000 employees were laid off. In 1987 another 27,000 were laid off. Thousands had taken early retirement. Craft employees had given up and didn't care any more. The company went into fields it knew nothing about and lost billions. Olivetti walked out on us. National Cash Register had been forced to sell for $7 Billion and sold off for $4Billion. AT&T doesn't really exist anymore. It was bought by its daughter, Southwestern Bell for its network. Bellsouth which had lost the bid sold itself to Southwestern. Thank the MBAs. They made this all happen.

[@hankkingsley9300]

@@robertcuminale1212 I'm sorry you're not dealing with AT&T well I am now

[@comicus6769]

Reminds me of years ago when Arby's came up with the french fry scale. Undoubtedly a freshly minted Harvard MBA came up with that one. Of course nothing encourages customers more to keep coming back then to watch when the help starts emptying your bag of fries because it was over the limit.

[@Labyrinth6000]

Do Victorias Secret next on why they’re still successful despite the decline of malls. I been suggesting this for years and I refuse to give up!

[@ZesticusTesticus]

Nor should you, I’d love to see that

[@trelalo-t2m]

it'd be ironic if you kept asking that until victoras secret actually started to decline

[@Labyrinth6000]

@@trelalo-t2m they’re one the most populated spots in the mall outside the food court (and I’ve been to many malls), in fact, they likely get more people than the one of the anchor stores

[@TheFalseShepphard]

@@Labyrinth6000 The popularity is probably because of everyone who goes there to know her secret

[@gars129]

It seems every succesful mall has one, and its usually the most prominent store along with Apple and the anchors when you zoom in on Google Maps.

[@joshjoshspangler]

EVERY time I go to KFC, I'm reminded why I don't go to KFC! The food is ALWAYS disappointing and there's usually something missing from my order. It hasn't been good for decades! There was a time when it was good, but those days are long gone. Not sure what it's like in other countries, but in Australia, it's completely gone to sh*t!

[@kathyannpardi9888]

Same here in So.California, they buy the worse chicken, and not cooked all the way. Yuck

[@tiktokjourney8472]

Sounds like the US. Popeyes is so much better.

[@chrisroyle4813]

Very similar in the UK, and prices have increased significantly - with portion sizes shrinking. I don't believe there are any other competing chicken takeaway specific chains here. Nando's is more of a sit down chain.

[@scotmandel6699]

Its the same in the USA. High prices for an inferior product with much better options such as Popeyes although KFC has set their bar pretty low.

[@sherlhoeppner2392]

when I lived in Houston it was still good, but then I moved to Kerrville tx and it was awful and now I live in Amarillo and it is terrible here too.😰

[@ericschneider8524]

Thirty dollars is too much for a two person meal without beer.

[@ATSFVentaSpurNscaler]

I first tasted KFC in the mid-1960s when a new franchise opened near my home. I loved it! Back then, its chicken pieces were large, plump, tender, juicy and the secret batter coating them was to die for. KFC side dishes were also very tasty. The coleslaw wasn't sweet then, but savory and seasoned with just the right amount of black pepper to give it a kick. The mashed potatoes and gravy tasted delicious - almost as good as mom used to make at home. Then under different corporate owners over the years, KFC sacrificed flavor and quality for almighty cost-cutting greed, so that its corporate overlords could pocket more profits for themselves while serving us an increasingly inferior product. I can't stand to eat KFC chicken anymore in USA. It got so bad by the early 2000s that I generally stopped going there. Today its chicken pieces remain too small and scrawny, full of gristle (and I mean a bunch of gristle, a tell-tale sign of chicken raised under unhealthy conditions) and the chicken meat itself lacks flavor. The secret batter doesn't measure up to what it was originally - and don't get me started complaining about KFC's pathetic side dishes! KFC in USA disgusts me. KFC in Mexico is somewhat passable and tastes a little better which I'll sometimes eat, but it still doesn't compare to the delicious U.S. KFCs from the 1960s through the 1980s.

[@tedlawrence4189]

You saved me the trouble of saying everything that you did! Lol.

[@dar4431]

Buddy you took the words right out of my mouth. I absolutely loved Kentucky Fried Chicken through the 60s, 70s and 80s, but noticed a decline in the quality of their product in the 90s and it has even gotten worse through the 2000s. I've had pieces in the bucket that I don't even recognize as pieces of chicken. But alas, I still try it hoping it'll return to its glory years of tasty, juicy, succulent chicken.

[@ATSFVentaSpurNscaler]

@@dar4431 I hear you. I wish KFC would return to its quality glory years, too, but sadly something tells me that it'll go bankrupt before that would ever happen. KFC would have to make a monumental investment and a 180° change in corporate priorities for it to gradually rebuild its brand loyalty that it has so carelessly trashed among us, its ever-expanding former customers, for whom I don't think its corporate executives currently care enough to act in any meaningful way. These ruthless executives will just milk their cash cow dry until it drops over dead and then they'll move on to the next company to scavenge. We've all seen this playbook too many times before when greed takes precedence over customer satisfaction.

[@jazzyjace1]

I agree they changed the recipe for one but say they haven't pfft. Now the chicken pieces as you pointed out are smaller I Karened one of their ads on here and the spokesperson stated that due to better farming practices the chicken are much bigger than before forcing them to cut the chicken into more pieces. I was like so you mean the chicken is a GMO product. While not saying yes or no they went on to explain how wonderful and sustainable farming practices were now ummm ok. So for profit it's an amazing product but for taste and contented patrons not so much

[@danielmorgan4899]

I remember the bucket was a five gallon bucket now it’s the size of a sand pale I’m glad the colonel is gone he would be Disgusted to see what they pass off as his secret recipe

[@antonioflores4440]

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN was an icon. Just the mention of it made your mouth water. Came back from the service and my family had told me that KFC had changed. The flavor was not there, even the potato wedges no longer had the seasoned taste. Could not believe it, no more bucket, just a box. Fine, got home noticed even the smell of the chicken was different. Sadly my fear was confirmed, not even close. If the new owners want to make a change to anything, for better health or what ever. Taste test your product, make sure it tastes the same. When costumers come for your product, we don't want to take a double take "did I walk into the wrong restaurant?" Bring back the original flavor.

[@AmericanFlyOnTheWall]

They dropped the potato wedges, corn on the cob, and “little bucket” parfait desserts. Then, the chicken became less flavorful and the pieces are tiny. The service is terrible now in most KFCs, also. I can’t wait 30 minutes at lunch for a 2-piece. I stop at a KFC once every 3 or 4 months now to see if anything has changed besides building renovations. Nothing has changed.

[@drew72493]

You’re telling me they don’t have wedges anymore wtf

[@adotintheshark4848]

KFC has really cut back on their menu (even the pot pie is gone!) and they are closing non-drive through stores.