# The week when KFC ran out of chicken
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [February 25, 2018, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532 "2018-02-25T08:57:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/21 "2018-02-26T00:18:47Z")
> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> There’s some interesting background here:
> [KFC was warned about switching UK delivery contractor, union says | Food & drink industry | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/20/kfc-was-warned-about-switching-uk-delivery-contractor-union-says)
>
> I doubt the full details of who pushed the button will come out though.
There’s an interesting bit of that article that talks about ‘just-in-time’ 24-hour turnaround order styles being part of the problem, and that raised my eyebrows a bit - working in food service in America, there often isn’t enough storage space in the restaurant to have any sort of ordering system that ISN’T stocked every 24 or 48 hours, especially weekends or holidays. Is the daily volume so much less in the UK? Or are the restaurant kitchens and fridges simply bigger?
---
### Author:  [@AI\_Proofreader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AI_Proofreader)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/22 "2018-02-26T00:43:28Z")
Question to our friends in the UK out of curiosity - when you are thinking of KFC, do you ask your friends if they’re in the mood for American food?
Sadly (or not, depending on your opinion of British cuisine), there’s no analogue for that question in the U.S.
---
### Author:  [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/23 "2018-02-26T01:08:16Z")
> [@AI\_Proofreader](#):
>
> Question to our friends in the UK out of curiosity - when you are thinking of KFC, do you ask your friends if they’re in the mood for American food?
No. I doubt anyone has ever said that, to be honest.
---
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/24 "2018-02-26T01:26:59Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#):
>
> No. I doubt anyone has ever said that, to be honest.
It would be like asking your friends if you want to go out for English food when you want fish & chips.
---
### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/25 "2018-02-26T02:38:59Z")
After reading this, I wants me some KFC _bad!_
---
### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/26 "2018-02-26T03:19:49Z")
> [@Derleth](#):
>
> KFC’s chicken:
> Seventeen herbs and spices,
> But not any meat.
> […]
> and fed to White
> Britons
Nicely done.
---
### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/27 "2018-02-26T07:24:48Z")
> [@Lasciel](#):
>
> There’s an interesting bit of that article that talks about ‘just-in-time’ 24-hour turnaround order styles being part of the problem, and that raised my eyebrows a bit - working in food service in America, there often isn’t enough storage space in the restaurant to have any sort of ordering system that ISN’T stocked every 24 or 48 hours, especially weekends or holidays. Is the daily volume so much less in the UK? Or are the restaurant kitchens and fridges simply bigger?
No, I think they’re using a JiT type supply chain model with minimal onsite storage - and I think that’s the nub of the issue - DHL can’t handle the job of keeping it stocked.
---
### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/28 "2018-02-26T07:51:42Z")
> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> From what I’ve read, KFC suffers from years of cost-cutting in their recipes,…
10 herbs and spices?
---
### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/29 "2018-02-26T08:08:48Z")
> [@AI\_Proofreader](#):
>
> Question to our friends in the UK out of curiosity - when you are thinking of KFC, do you ask your friends if they’re in the mood for American food?
I think people generally just regard it as an indulgent treat - by which I mean, it’s different from most other fast foods in that you get to sit down and eat essentially a massive pile of greasy meat, without being troubled by bread, salad or anything else like that. Everyone knows it originates in the USA, but I don’t think it’s regarded as a cross-cultural adventure to eat there.
---
### Author:  [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/30 "2018-02-26T11:23:57Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> I’ve heard that KFC is the most popular worldwide of the US fast food chains. Apparently, fried chicken is something that fits in well enough with almost any regional cuisine. Probably not relevant to the UK, though, whose culinary tastes are similar to the US.
[Apparently not](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_fast_food_restaurant_chains).
> [@](#):
>
> 1 United States Subway 44,228[1]
> 2 United States McDonald’s 36,899
> 3 United States Starbucks 25,085
> 4 United States KFC 20,604
> 5 United States Burger King 15,000+ [9]
> 6 United States Domino’s Pizza 14,200[10]
> 7 United States Pizza Hut 13,728 [11]
> 8 United States Dunkin’ Donuts 11,300[12]
> 9 United States Baskin-Robbins 7300[13]
> 10 United States Hunt Brothers Pizza 7300[14]
It looks like Subway is king.
---
### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/31 "2018-02-26T11:46:33Z")
At least Leeroy Jenkins has chicken.
---
### Author:  [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/32 "2018-02-26T11:59:30Z")
Not my original:
Why did the chicken cross the road? It didn’t. Road crossing has been outsourced to these pigeons who, we are very sorry to say, have shat on your car.
---
### Author:  [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/33 "2018-02-26T15:54:50Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#):
>
> [Apparently not](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_fast_food_restaurant_chains). It looks like Subway is king.
It’s interesting that the king of fast food is the one whose secret recipe is “put some cold cuts on a piece of bread”. Also that they have more than twice as many locations as KFC but barely half the revenue, and more locations than McDonald’s but less than half the revenue.
---
### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/34 "2018-02-26T16:35:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> I’ve heard that KFC is the most popular worldwide of the US fast food chains. Apparently, fried chicken is something that fits in well enough with almost any regional cuisine. Probably not relevant to the UK, though, whose culinary tastes are similar to the US.
> [@TokyoBayer](#):
>
> [Apparently not](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_fast_food_restaurant_chains). It looks like Subway is king.
“Most popular” does not necessarily mean “has the most restaurants”. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/35 "2018-02-26T16:36:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> I’ve heard that KFC is the most popular worldwide of the US fast food chains. Apparently, fried chicken is something that fits in well enough with almost any regional cuisine. Probably not relevant to the UK, though, whose culinary tastes are similar to the US.
The last time I visited family in Pakistan (which was… 2005ish?) I was surprised by the number of KFCs everywhere in Karachi. Apparently its a spicier fried chicken than we’d be used to (which sounds absolutely awesome - unfortunately I didn’t get to try it).
---
### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/36 "2018-02-26T16:43:08Z")
> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> It’s interesting that the king of fast food is the one whose secret recipe is “put some cold cuts on a piece of bread”. Also that they have more than twice as many locations as KFC but barely half the revenue, and more locations than McDonald’s but less than half the revenue.
I’m going to say that could be because of the relative simplicity of a Subway restaurant setup compared to some of the others - it’s little more than an oven stack, a salad bar and a hot counter - meaning that Subway can pop up in places where there isn’t space for a burger restaurant
---
### Author:  [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/37 "2018-02-26T16:54:52Z")
> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> It’s interesting that the king of fast food is the one whose secret recipe is “put some cold cuts on a piece of bread”. Also that they have more than twice as many locations as KFC but barely half the revenue, and more locations than McDonald’s but less than half the revenue.
Yeah, and they seem to be on a [downward spiral, according to this](http://www.businessinsider.com/subway-closes-over-900-us-locations-2017-12). Of course, the market’s changed over time (hits a lot of old fast food places) and they had the scandal with Jared (don’t really know how much that played in, of course).
Someone mentioned them being easy to pop up due to simplicity. When my cousin opened one (over ten years ago), she said she chose it because it was the cheapest franchise.
I wonder, too, if they just have too many locations in too close proximity sometimes.
---
### Author:  [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/38 "2018-02-26T17:11:46Z")
> [@susan](#):
>
> Nicely done.
Thank you.
---
### Author:  [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/39 "2018-02-26T17:23:23Z")
> [@Tzigone](#):
>
> Yeah, and they seem to be on a [downward spiral, according to this](http://www.businessinsider.com/subway-closes-over-900-us-locations-2017-12). Of course, the market’s changed over time (hits a lot of old fast food places) and they had the scandal with Jared (don’t really know how much that played in, of course).
>
> Someone mentioned them being easy to pop up due to simplicity. When my cousin opened one (over ten years ago), she said she chose it because it was the cheapest franchise.
>
> I wonder, too, if they just have too many locations in too close proximity sometimes.
I live in a town of 5,500 people. We have three Subways.
---
### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2018, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-week-when-kfc-ran-out-of-chicken/809532/40 "2018-02-26T17:29:31Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#):
>
> [Apparently not](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_fast_food_restaurant_chains). It looks like Subway is king.
Nice work, Jared!
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