A visitor returned to KFC after 15 years and visited three Southern California locations, experiencing widely inconsistent meal quality. One visit rekindled nostalgia but produced unappealing food, another delivered a satisfying fried feast, and a third landed somewhere in between. The variability led to the conclusion that KFC struggles to reproduce the same meal reliably across outlets. The company launched a Kentucky Fried Comeback turnaround in mid-July to address lost ground to rivals and falling customer satisfaction. Executives plan menu innovations, renovations, celebrity partnerships, and the reintroduction of Colonel Sanders to improve consistency, convenience, and craveability.
I recently visited KFC for the first time in 15 years, chasing nostalgia - and left with no desire to return. A week later, another location surprised me with a fried feast that actually hit the spot. Then, at a third stop, the food landed somewhere in between. The problem, I realized, isn't what's on the menu. It's that KFC can't seem to serve the same meal twice.
In mid-July, the company launched its " Kentucky Fried Comeback" turnaround campaign after years of losing ground to competitors like Popeyes and Raising Cane's. Executives know this is a critical moment for the 72-year-old chain to reclaim its former fast food glory. Sales have been down year over year in most quarters since 2023. And customer satisfaction slipped 5% in 2024, the American Customer Satisfaction Index found.
Catherine Tan-Gillespie, president of KFC US, previously told Business Insider that consumer sentiment and customer satisfaction scores have slipped, and the brand needs a makeover to keep up with shifting tastes. The turnaround effort is to show customers that the company is changing, Tan-Gillespie said last month at the start of the campaign. "If you can give your exes a million second chances, why not give KFC a second chance? We're really worth the try," she said.
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