Kentucky Fried Chicken, more commonly known as KFC, is one of the largest fast food chicken chains in the world. Founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, KFC popularized fried chicken and has expanded to over 26,000 locations worldwide. While known for their signature fried chicken on the bone, KFC has experimented with various menu options over the years, including buffet-style dining.
The History of KFC Buffets
In the 1960s and 1970s, some KFC locations offered lunch buffets to customers. This allowed people to sample a variety of KFC’s fried chicken offerings and sides. The buffets were not a chain-wide option but were tested at certain locations. They featured fried chicken like Original Recipe, Extra Crispy, and Hot Wings along with classic KFC sides like mashed potatoes, coleslaw, biscuits, and baked beans. The cost of the buffet was affordable, allowing customers to fill up on fried chicken for just a few dollars.
In the 1990s, KFC brought back buffet options at some spots. Stores in Australia, New Zealand, and a few parts of the United States tested lunch and dinner buffets with fried chicken, sides, and a salad bar. These buffets were designed to bring in customers with hearty appetites who wanted to sample a lot of items. Again, it was not a chain-wide offering but limited to certain markets and stores.
The most recent time KFC offered widespread buffet options was in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Stores across the United States and Canada introduced lunch buffets featuring KFC classics like Original Recipe chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, corn, biscuits, and desserts. Some locations also had a breakfast buffet with fried chicken, biscuits, and sides served in the morning hours. The cost of the buffet was generally between $5-$8 depending on the location.
The End of Widespread KFC Buffets
While popular for a time, KFC began phasing out buffet offerings in the early 2000s. There were a few factors that contributed to this decision:
- High costs – The buffets required fully staffed serving lines during peak lunch and dinner hours, increasing labor costs.
- Food waste – With buffet dining, there was invariably food thrown out that was not eaten.
- Slow service – Lines at the buffet led to slower service and longer wait times for customers ordering individually.
- Preference for combo meals – Core KFC customers preferred ordering combo meals rather than self-serving at a buffet.
By the mid-2000s, nearly all company-owned KFC locations had eliminated buffet dining. A few franchised stores may have still offered limited buffets, but it was no longer a featured part of the KFC brand. The higher costs and extra effort of running buffets led KFC to focus on its core menu items like chicken on the bone meals, chicken sandwiches, and boxed meals.
International KFC Buffets
While buffets faded away at most U.S. and Canadian KFC spots, they remained popular options internationally. Countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and South Africa continued offering KFC buffets. These buffets feature localized menu items like rice dishes, chicken curry, and spicy fried chicken flavors tailored to regional tastes. Diners can pile their plates high with these KFC creations for an affordable set price.
The KFC buffet tradition remains strongly ingrained in the Philippines especially. Nearly all KFC locations there offer buffets with Filipino favorites like chicken adobo, spaghetti, rice meals, and desserts like leche flan. Filipinos flock to KFC for special occasions and holidays to enjoy the endless buffet offerings. KFC buffets are also popular in various parts of Asia for family meals, office lunches, or quick, satisfying meals on the go.
Limited-Time KFC Buffets
While standard daily buffets are mostly a thing of the past, KFC occasionally brings back buffet-style dining for limited promotions. Some examples of recent specialty KFC buffets include:
- Mother’s Day – A Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet was offered in 2021 featuring fried chicken, biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, and hashbrown casserole.
- Holiday Meals – Select locations have brought back holiday meal buffets with turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, rolls, and corn.
- Football Meal Deals – KFC offered a football-watching buffet in 2015 with popcorn chicken and unlimited sides.
- Test Markets – A few KFC spots will sometimes test weekend or weekday buffets to gauge interest and sales.
While not the norm, these periodic buffet promotions show KFC is willing to bring back the concept for special occasions or to attract customers. Focusing the buffet on a particular holiday or event reduces waste and staffing demands compared to a daily, open-ended buffet.
Why KFC Moved Away from Buffets
The primary factors that led KFC to abandon continuous buffet dining include:
High Labor Costs
Maintaining a buffet requires added staff time for cooking, serving, cleaning, monitoring, and replenishing dishes. With thin profit margins in the fast food industry, the extra labor costs often don’t justify the added business from buffet customers.
Food Waste
Buffets inevitably lead to food waste as customers take more than they end up eating. When food sits out for prolonged periods, quality also declines. This waste cuts into potential profits from the buffet.
Speed and Consistency
Buffets can slow down customer flow during peak times. People waiting in long buffet lines negatively impacts customer experience. Individually packaged meals allow for faster and more consistent service.
Limited Appeal
While buffets drive certain demographics like seniors and large families, most core KFC customers simply want chicken meal combos. The majority were not choosing buffet dining regularly enough to warrant continued investment.
Health Concerns
With rising health awareness, buffet dining fell out of favor as consumers became more concerned about overeating and food sitting out. KFC responded by focusing more on individualized meal options.
The Future of KFC Buffets
It’s unlikely that standard, daily buffets will return to KFC restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. The model simply became too expensive and inefficient compared to core menu offerings. However, periodic holiday or event focused buffets are likely to remain a promotion KFC turns to now and then.
International KFC markets like Asia and Africa where buffets remain popular will continue offering them based on local customer preference. Buffets can drive high traffic and sales in these regions, justifying the added costs. KFC headquarters gives local franchisees flexibility on whether to offer buffets based on their market dynamics.
Some other possibilities for buffet-style dining at KFC going forward include:
- Limited-time weekend brunch buffets
- Special occasion buffets like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day
- All-you-can-eat wings or chicken strips buffet
- Takeout buffet pans for office events or home gatherings
Rather than an everyday option, buffets are likely to be periodic promotions when KFC wants to spur traffic during slower periods. While not a consistent part of the menu, KFC buffets have a nostalgic appeal for long-time customers.
Conclusion
At various points in its history, KFC offered buffet dining that allowed customers to sample a variety of fried chicken and sides. These buffets were popular in the 1960s, 1990s, and early 2000s before being phased out due to high costs and limited appeal to core customers. A few international markets like Asia and Africa still maintain popular KFC buffets. While standard daily buffets are unlikely to return in the U.S., periodic holiday or event focused buffets may come back for special promotions. The KFC buffet delivered fond memories for many fried chicken fans over the years.
