Get ready to battle it out for the best chicken joint! Today we are trying KFC and Popeyes to see which one is actually finger lickin’ good.
Which menu items will we be trying?
KFC 8 Piece Meal with mashed potatoes, cole slaw, biscuits
Popeyes 8 Piece Signature Chicken Meal with mashed potatoes, cole slaw, biscuits
Who is joining this chicken battle?
Nate, a lot to unpack.
Kris, crunch crunch crunch.
Matt, doubling down.
Amy, winner winner chicken dinner.
And of course, thanks to our subscribers who are helping us build this small but excellent podcast! We appreciate the support!
The History of KFC
The story of Kentucky Fried Chicken starts in 1890 in Henryville, Indiana, where Harland Sanders is born. When Harland was only 6 years old, his Father died, leaving his mother to take up extra work to care for the family. Since his mom was away a lot, it meant that Harland was responsible for caring for his younger siblings, including doing the cooking. By the time he was 7 years old, he was becoming quite the young chef. When he was 12 years old, he was forced out of the house when his mother married a man who didn’t want children around. He began working on a farm and dropped out of school. Over the years Harland would have many jobs including a farmhand, streetcar conductor, fireman, and insurance salesman.
When Harland turned 40, he decided to buy a roadside motel in Corbin, Kentucky, where he started serving southern style chicken. He perfected his unique blend of 11 herbs and spices. It wasn’t until 1952, when Harland Sanders was 62 years old, that the white suit, black tie, goatee wearing gentleman opened the first franchise near Salt Lake City Utah. By the time Sanders sold the company in 1964, there were more than 600 franchises.
Many people think of the slogan when they think of KFC. Finger Lickin Good. This tagline developed quite organically in a franchise in Phoenix. Owner Dave Harman would appear in local ads for the restaurant. These ads consisted of Dave Harman eating a plate of chicken while a narration played over the top. After one of the commercials, a viewer complained to the station where the ads were filmed, objecting to Harman licking his fingers while he ate. The reply to the complaint? “Well, it’s finger lickin’ good!” The slogan stuck and was used over the years, taking a short hiatus in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Finally, you may have noticed that Kentucky Fried Chicken is not the official name of the business anymore. In 1990, the Commonwealth of Kentucky trademarked their name, which meant that if the brand were to keep the name Kentucky Fried Chicken, they would have to pay a licensing fee. Unwilling to comply, they legally changed the name to KFC, which was an acronym many people were already using.
Today there are more than 25,000 KFC locations in over 145 countries and territories around the world.
The History of Popeyes
Popeyes started with one man, Alvin C. Copeland Sr. When Alvin was 18 years old, he was interested in opening a restaurant. So, selling his car, he used the money to open a doughnut shop. He was doing pretty well but after KFC became a national fast food sensation, Copeland shifted gears, taking his doughnut revenue and opening a chicken shop in 1972 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His restaurant, called “Chicken on the Run,” served traditional Southern-fried chicken. But his sales were quite lackluster. Instead of giving up, Alvin decided to try a re-brand. He re-opened the restaurant as “Popeyes” (after Popeye Doyle of The French Connection), and instead of selling Southern-fried chicken, he spiced things up with New Orleans-style chicken and in 1976 the first franchised restaurant opened in Louisiana.
By 1985 Popeyes became the number 3 fast food chicken chain based on number of units. And in 1999 they surpassed one billion-dollar annual sales for the first time.
Today Popeyes has 2890 locations in the United States.
The Results
**SPOILER ALERT!**
Listen to the episode first if you do not want the results revealed to you yet!
Chicken
KFC Chicken
Nate: “There is a difference between a moist chicken and greasy chicken, and this is a greasy mess.”
Amy: “The chicken breast wasn’t too bad.”
Kris: “Too wet. But I like the flavor of the crust.”
Matt: “It’s visually appealing. This chicken has done some squats.”
Popeyes Chicken
Nate: “This is moist.”
Amy: “It is so much juicier than the KFC.”
Kris: “This was better. It wasn’t even close.”
Matt: “This is a superior chicken.”
WINNER: Popeyes
Mashed Potatoes
KFC Mashed Potatoes
Nate: “That is a fake tator.”
Amy: “It’s gross instant.”
Kris: “I thought I would like this a lot more.”
Matt: “No competition here.”
Popeyes Mashed Potatoes
Nate: “From visual to texture, everything was great.”
Amy: “Cajun gravy is so good.”
Kris: “Never had this before and it’s great.”
Matt: “Shout out to Cajun gravy.”
WINNER: Popeyes
Biscuits
KFC Biscuit
Nate: “It looks homemade and I appreciate that.”
Amy: “It needs the sides to dip this in.”
Kris: “It is just too dry.”
Matt: “This takes the visual but has no flavor.”
Popeyes Biscuit
Nate: “This is tasty.”
Amy: “It has a nice kick to it.”
Kris: “It’s a hockey puck with a perfect peel.”
Matt: “The layering is really good.”
WINNER: Popeyes
Cole Slaw
KFC Cole Slaw
Nate: “It is nothing to write home about.”
Amy: “It is just cabbage and carrot.”
Kris: “This isn’t great but I like it better than Popeyes”
Matt: “I just want it to stop.”
Popeyes Cole Slaw
Nate: “This has a little more flavor.”
Amy: “It has a pickle kick.”
Kris: “Too much pickle.”
Matt: “I only swallowed this one.”
WINNER: Popeyes
There you have it. After trying 4 different menu items from KFC and Popeyes, we give Popeyes the Quest for the Best seal of approval. Check out their website to find a location near you.
https://www.popeyes.com/
Thank you for joining us on this exclusive episode of Quest for the Best. Let us know what you thought. Have you tried these menu items? Which one was your favorite? Which restaurant is your favorite?
Also, do you have any foods you would love to get the coveted seal of approval? Let us know in the comments what you want to hear next.
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Thanks again for the support. Until next time, stay sane out there.
Show Notes
https://www.mashed.com/99890/untold-truth-kfc/
https://global.kfc.com/our-heritage/
KFC vs. Popeyes