“You know who typically owns a KKC? A family.” Talde says. The majority of the locations are also not owned by the corporation. At all hours the employees can be found busily moving between the fryers and the golden glow of the fried-chicken case. The sprawling convenience store houses the usual snacks, soda, and cigarettes, but the chain’s red-and-gold advertising plasters the store’s inside and outside windows. ![]() 55th and Payne Avenue in Cleveland, for example, is on the city’s industrial east side. Allison Shapiro says that the chain is currently ramping up its digital marketing strategy, but its reputation has probably developed because of its low visibility. This is a demographic that values cheap, quality fast food and KKC provides both.įrom a quantitative view, the sheer number of locations should make KKC a household name. This growth was probably also helped by the coming of age of millennials during this time. Most people were in dire financial straits but still needed to feed themselves. C-stores were that next rung down," he adds. “Customers traded down from fast food, but still wanted quality. “The Recession became this period when you could really see the C-store trend take off,” Food News Media Editorial Director Sam Oches says. In 2006, the company exploded from 200 stores to its current 2,200, moving its footprint out of the Deep South during the nadir and recovery from the 2008 Financial Crisis. Though KKC was founded in 1989, the company didn't see rapid growth until 17 years later. But the largest reason KKC has such an under-the-radar status is because of its unique business model: It almost exclusively targets convenience stores for expansion. So why the disconnect? Sure, Popeyes can claim a 17-year head start, a pedigree derived from New Orleans’ lauded culinary culture, and a deep-seated connection with the South. I’ve never seen a commercial or heard a radio ad or anything.” Ditto for Talde. “Until we started talking about it, I didn’t know they were a chain,” Umansky tells Thrillist over the phone. Talde and Cleveland-based chef Jeremy Umansky, a fellow KKC superfan, were both shocked at discovering that their local KKCs weren’t just local mom-and-pop operations. (KKC is also larger than Chick-fil-A, which has just over 2,100 locations.) The chain is slightly smaller than Popeyes, which by comparison has 2,700 locations worldwide - only 500 more than KKC - but commands a larger name. ![]() Considering that KKC has a jaw-dropping 2,200 locations in 41 states and one US overseas territory, it's surprising that the destination-worthy chicken still hasn’t become a household name.
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