Do KFC (McD, BK etc) vary that much?

[pjt]

We were in Lanzarote, which we've always found pretty mediocre food-wise. Maybe that's the reason the KFC is sub-par.

BTW, if anyone knows a decent Chinese, or other restaurants, in Puerto del Carmen...

I had the pleasure of experiencing that airport a few days ago. Took over an hour to get our bags checked in so by the time we got through security the only food option was something quick. My boys went to the KFC and left after about 15 minutes empty handed as they muked up the order. Me and my wife went to BK and they had very little items in stock and what we got was grim. I think the airport in general is struggling with capacty at the moment which may have been the problem. Might explain your expereince as well.

[vwdan]

Yeah, KFC is insanely variable and has gotten markedly worse. It used to be favourite and go-to fast food, but I barely touch it now and whenever I do I'm disappointed.

[Snooky]

Yeah, KFC is insanely variable and has gotten markedly worse. It used to be favourite and go-to fast food, but I barely touch it now and whenever I do I'm disappointed.

We have 2 in our town - one (the one I go to occasionally) is decent, the other is renowned for being really cr@p. I'm surprised it survives and it seems odd the franchisee hasn't been taken to task by KFC, but as long as the money keeps rolling in I guess they don't care.

[NickFitz]

I have KFC delivered sometimes and I always order from one a bit further away across town rather than the nearer one in the city centre because it's qualitatively inferior from the nearer one.

I have thought it's generally not as good as it used to be when I got it quite often around the turn of the millennium (there was a shop at the other end of the street where I lived then), but that may be my memory playing tricks

Tip for KFC delivery: it works out a couple of quid cheaper if you order it via Just Eat rather than ordering on KFC's own website which uses Deliveroo

[vetran]

Woodys in west Drayton for the win, been eating their for 32+ years. Consistently yummy!

Delivery its Indian & Chinese not fast food. We have to change every so often because the owners change or the quality goes down.

[NickFitz]

Somebody I used to follow on Twitter and now follow on Bluesky said the other day that they'd tried Popeye's and it was so good that they're never going back to KFC. For context, they're a professional comedian and takeaway fried chicken has been their go-to (or take away, rather) meal when travelling home after gigs for many years, so this is somebody who's eaten a lot of chicken

We've got a Popeye's in town so I'm planning to give it a try sometime

[SueEllen]

Somebody I used to follow on Twitter and now follow on Bluesky said the other day that they'd tried Popeye's and it was so good that they're never going back to KFC. For context, they're a professional comedian and takeaway fried chicken has been their go-to (or take away, rather) meal when travelling home after gigs for many years, so this is somebody who's eaten a lot of chicken

We've got a Popeye's in town so I'm planning to give it a try sometime

Oh I was scared to try it after being very disappointed by Wendys. I will now definitely give it a try.

[NickFitz]

I finally got around to trying Popeyes Louisiana Chicken tonight, and I thought it was very good

Turns out there's no apostrophe in the name though, which seems odd

[vetran]

I have KFC delivered sometimes and I always order from one a bit further away across town rather than the nearer one in the city centre because it's qualitatively inferior from the nearer one.

I think the end game on that is the KFC/McD/BK etc. Hub.

I suspect they will have a huge kitchen heavily automated with an army of moped riders run by head office.

I can't see corporate missing that trick. The Franchisees will be eased out. Think of the margins.

The way it works is corporate want total control.

[willendure]

Don't normally eat fast food but got stuck in an airport in Spain last month, due to flight delay, and had KFC. It wasn't good. The chicken had a funny texture (rubbery/chewy), the coating didn't taste of much, and the fries weren't nice either.

Last time we had KFC was in a motorway services 20 years ago, and it was how we'd always remembered it since the late 70s.

Has it gone down hill in recent years? Or do they, and other fast food chain outlets, vary a lot from place to place?

I will corroborate your findings with the last 2 times I ate fast food in an airport, 1 in portugal and 1 in spain (majorca) - as you describe funny rubbery texture. No idea why this would be the case in airports especially, except perhaps for the fact that the staff who worked there were obviously very bored and very fed up looking and could not give a tulip what they were selling.

Fast food, its pretty terrible, but not usually quite that bad.

Had a maccy D's in Stockholm airport last year, it was just the same as normal.