KFC's Plan to Catch Up in the Fried Chicken Wars: Ditch the Bones

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Transcript

00:00Craving fried chicken in New York City but don't know where to go?

00:03Head to Times Square.

00:04Here, you'll find flagship locations for Raising Cane's, Popeyes, and Jollibee.

00:08Fried chicken chains have become full-blown fandoms with followers who swear by each fast-food chicken's taste and quality.

00:14But one chain is missing. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Where is it?

00:17The Colonel practically invented the idea of a fried chicken chain way back in 1930.

00:22What does its absence in a high-foot traffic area like Times Square say about the brand's problems?

00:27According to KFC's new U.S. President, Kathryn Tan Gillespie, the chain has been irrelevant, invisible, and inconsistent.

00:33So I'm heading to the closest one, which is about 10 blocks away.

00:36The closest KFC ever got to Times Square was just a few blocks up in the theater district.

00:41But that location closed during the pandemic, so now...

00:44This small and quiet KFC, ledged between an Irish pub and a hookah lounge, is now your closest option to Times Square to get your KFC fixed.

00:51So why did I have to walk 10 blocks to get Colonel's original recipe?

00:54It might have to do with the fact that since 2023, KFC has closed around 300 locations.

00:59Last year alone, sales fell 5%.

01:02It's the biggest drop since at least 2018 and the steepest contraction over that time.

01:06Compare that to Raising Cane's, which is five times smaller, but now brings in more than KFC in sales.

01:11So what exactly is the problem with KFC?

01:13Tan Gillespie says the brand's famous drumsticks are out of step with what consumers want,

01:18which is increasingly boneless nuggets, tenders, and sandwiches.

01:21KFC offers similar items and competes in the space,

01:24but has struggled to shake its image as a bone-in chicken specialist.

01:27Tan Gillespie says she thinks KFC has to have a core product range that customers want.

01:32That means a bigger push into more boneless offerings to draw in new customers.

01:37They also brought back the iconic Colonel in advertisements this summer,

01:40and are partnering with celebrity chef Matty Matheson to help appeal to younger consumers.

01:44Tan Gillespie said the brand used to be an American icon, but has now lost its way.

01:49The question now is, can a refresh Colonel Sanders and buckets of boneless chicken wings bring people back to KFC?

01:55Who knows?

01:56But if you're an original recipe fan, don't worry.

01:58KFC made it clear that they'll never totally walk away from chicken on the bone.

02:03KFC'sular

02:08KFC's fic