Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is a company that markets its product around the world, and it is subject to different cultural and economic forces in different countries. Competition can be fierce, and in the United States there is considerable competition today in the chicken segment of the fast food market. KFC is the leader being challenged by El Pollo Loco, Kenny Rogers Roasters, Boston Chicken, Popeye Chicken, and others.
Rotisserie chicken is perhaps the fastest-growing food category in restaurants and supermarkets, and Kentucky Fried Chicken controls half of the $7-billion market for fried chicken. The company is a subsidiary of PepsiCo. In 1993-1994, the company spent more than $100 million to introduce its Rotisserie Gold line at 5,000 stores nationwide. Another national chain is Kenny Rogers Roasters, run by John Y. Brown, Jr., a businessman and former governor of Kentucky who three decades ago turned Kentucky Fried Chicken into a nationwide chain. Boston Chicken set a record on Wall Street when it started trading its stock in 1992 and has a team of executives who helped Blockbuster become the leading force in the video rental market. There is a West Coast element in the Irvine-based El Pollo Loco chain, with a good part of the Southern California market. The Anaheim-based CKE Restaurants, owner of the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain, has plans to open as many as 300 Boston Chicken franchise restaurants in Southern California (Johnson, 1994).
Kentucky Fried Chicken remains the leader in the rotisserie chicken business, though Boston Chicken is becoming a major competitor. Linda's Flame-Roasted Chicken is another new competitor with only 3 stores. Boston Chicken added 133 stores in the first half of 1994, raising its chain to 350 outlets in 23 states and the District of Columbia. KFC has nearly 9,000 outlets worldwide, including 5,000 in the United States. It has a dominant name and reputation in the fast food busine...