The story behind KFCs Colonel Burger
Yesterday some people suggested that the reason behind KFC’s recent addition to the Fish Zinger sandwich is so that they can offer a non-chicken alternative on their menu in case of another bird flu scare. I suggested that if that was the case KFC should have advertised their Colonel Burger. Well turns out there is a story behind that burger. Tat, a reader of the blog commented with the following information:
Business predictions are that bird flu will reappear every summer. Last summer, Egypt’s KFC sales fell almost by half and the Gulf KFC’s by 20 - 25%. Therefore KFC international has come up with non-chicken products to offer alternatives.
The Colonel Burger has been around for a long time. It was a product, started many years back, by Americana locally, to beat a competitor called Jack in the Box; a burger chain concept that dared include fried chicken in their menu. Since the burger is not a KFC product its not advertised too much.
KFC in the gulf will move over to transfat free oil in a few months.
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10 Comments, add your own...
1. MiRoOoOo!i! | May 20th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Although KFC’s sales in egypt have dropped ( i guess even more than 50 % ) , they haven’t started any pre-emptive action yet , bird flu has been in egypt since last year , they haven’t done anything , All they did is redecorating all their stores
2. Carlsb3rg | May 20th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
My guess is Falafel sales rocketed :)
3. Marzouq | May 20th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
I don’t think that would be my thing really.. I’m still gonna eat chicken!
4. K u w a i t o o n s . c o m | May 20th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
KFC without Transfat ? thats unreal !
if they do that probably they would lose alot of money trying to be healthy (as mcdonalds positions himself)
5. Q80thug | May 20th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
i have tried jack in the box. best damn steak burger i tasted in my life; sirlion (sp) steak slices in a panini bread. Faaaaaantastic.
6. Carlsb3rg | May 20th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
“The Colonel Burger has been around for a long time. It was a product, started many years back, by Americana locally, to beat a competitor called Jack in the Box”
But there’s no Jack in the Box in the Middle East?
7. Armani Exchange | May 21st, 2007 at 1:24 am
2 Colonel Burger, xlarge french fries, and xlarge coke was my favorites meal of all time when i was weighting 100kg … 10 years ago :)
8. Big T | May 21st, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I think it’s easy to use the bird flu as an excuse but I didn’t believe that would be the reason they came out with the fish zinger. The following link sounds more like them…
“While the sandwich is being marketed generally, John O’Reilly, chief marketing officer for KFC, said the sandwich should prove especially popular on Friday’s, when Catholics traditionally don’t eat meat in the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday.”
Full story -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17276043/
9. Mark | May 21st, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Yeah.. BUT, the fish zinger was released in the Gulf after Easter.
10. Big T | May 21st, 2007 at 4:43 pm
True that…but KFC’s products (just like any product from the US) are first geared towards their primary market and then allowed to spread around the world :)
Peace out :)
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