Chick-fil-A steals KFC's chicken crown

[X Factor 1,112]

Chick-fil-A steals KFC's chicken crown

http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post--chick-fil-a-steals-kfcs-chicken-crown

The days when fried chicken was synonymous with a certain white-haired southern gentleman are over, at least in the U.S. A new champion has claimed KFC's long-held chicken crown: Chick-fil-A.

The change atop the leaderboard appears undisputed: Yum Brands (YUM +1.37%), which owns KFC and has for years prided itself as "the leader in the U.S. chicken [quick-service restaurant] segment," removed that very phrase from the company's most recent annual report.

Anyone in the northern half of the U.S. is likely scratching her head and wondering why she hasn't seen Chick-fil-A outlets opening in the neighborhood. Last year Chick-fil-A only had about 1,775 U.S. stores to KFC's 4,491, and most are in the South.

Yet in dollar terms the Colonel is coming up short even with that much larger footprint: Chick-fil-A's 2013 sales passed $5 billion, while all of KFC's U.S. restaurants rang up about $4.22 billion, according to Technomic. And that's with zero dollars coming in to Chick-fil-A on Sundays, when every restaurant is closed.

What Chick-fil-A lacks in store count, it makes up for in traffic. Each restaurant made about $3.2 million in 2013, more than three times as much as the average KFC at $938,000.

Average sales at KFC restaurants have remained largely unchanged over the past decade, while they have climbed steadily at Chick-fil-A. Same-store sales climbed by more than 3.6 percent at Chick-fil-A last year; KFC's fell by 2 percent.

KFC hit its U.S. peak by store count around 2004, when it had more than 5,500 restaurants -- over four times the number of Chick-fil-A locations -- and claimed 46 percent of the fast-food chicken market. But over the past decade the gap between the two narrowed as KFC closed stores and Chick-fil-A added more. Now, KFC's storefront advantage is just 2.5 times more than its rival, and Chick-fil-A plans to chip away with more than 100 new locations opening this year. (A representative for KFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

Darren Tristano, an executive vice president at consultancy Technomic, called Chick-fil-A one of the most successful fast-food chains. He cited the sizable breakfast business, an average check slightly higher than competitors', and a menu that differentiates it from the big burger chains.

And fast-food chicken fans outside the South may not be puzzled by Chick-fil-A's hegemony for long. A spokesman mentioned plans for locations in the "northern, Midwest, and western states," where the company is now focusing its growth plans.

[Danno 1,228]

NOw I am hungry.

I love them both but the grease from KFC makes me feel guilty.

[X Factor 1,112]

NOw I am hungry.

I love them both but the grease from KFC makes me feel guilty.

There is no Chick Fil A close by so I never had their food. My wife and I ocassionally eat at KFC

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

There's a Chick-Fil-A on the border of West Hollywood (aka where the gays are) but I've never been. Why go to a Chick-Fil-A when we have Roscoe's and any number of amazing Korean fried chicken emporia?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

There's a Chick-Fil-A on the border of West Hollywood (aka where the gays are) but I've never been. Why go to a Chick-Fil-A when we have Roscoe's and any number of amazing Korean fried chicken emporia?

Why? Because great patriots eat at Chick Fil A

[luckytxn 2,265]

Chick Filas are the best.

[Operator 1,927]

The LGBTQ community at a local university here almost had them booted off campus but the board overrode the decision.

I like my chikin on Sunday so I eat at the local heathen chicken joint 'Hell Bent for Feather'

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Why? Because great patriots eat at Chick Fil A

Oh yeah. Race hustlers eat at Roscoe's and Korean joints.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Their chicken tastes terrible and the breast meat looks like it came from a dinosaur. It's Tyson chicken. Tyson's notorious for raising chickens by crowding them into a cooped up warehouse where many of them can't even stand because they're diet consists of fattening GMO corn. Gross.

Edited March 31, 2014 by Porterhouse

[spookyturtle 9,466]

5:43PM, 42 degrees, 3 hats, 87, W, postcount.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

5:43PM, 42 degrees, 3 hats, 87, W, postcount.

That's a pretty comprehensive reply. Well played.

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

There are two new chik-fil-a restaurants here and every time I drive by the cars are packed at the drive-through.. Almost as bad as those Kispy Creme stores were a few years ago. The KFCs are generally empty whenever I drive by and blasting the big bopper music from the 50's.. They do a daily buffet that is very popular with the over 65 crowd... "MMMM! mashed potatoes!"

I think the Chick-Fil-As success formula is limited choice (humans love 2 choices, they hate 3+ choices) and calorie counts on everything you order so you know exactly how much chicken goodness you are taking in.

I thought for sure KFC had something good going when they did the colonel break dancing commercials but somehow that brilliant ad campaign failed to deliver. Combining all new restaurants with A&Ws also was a bad move - another loser chain and even *more* choices for people that respond well to binary decision making.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I like KFC coleslaw.

I have never been to a chick-fil-a. I don't like restaurants that can't spell.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Oh right, the anti-gay chicken place.

I guess if you like salt crusted chicken boiled in transfat - you probably aren't going to care too much about its CEO being a bigot. Leave your morals at the door along with your sense of taste.

Edited March 31, 2014 by Papa Lazarou

[Crashed~N2~Me 970]

Oh right, the anti-gay chicken place.

I guess if you like salt crusted chicken boiled in transfat - you probably aren't going to care too much about its CEO being a bigot. Leave your morals at the door along with your sense of taste.

Well....You are just a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.