Saturday, January 15, 2022

[EXCLUSIVE] KFC Goes "Dark" in Alpharetta

The KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) at 5150 Windward Parkway in Alpharetta has closed.  The restaurant, which for the past several months has been marketed for lease by The Shopping Center Group (TSCG), reportedly closed quietly within the past few days ahead of what the lease brochure indicated was a planned February 1 closure.  The 3,167 square foot freestanding drive-thru enabled restaurant sits on .97 acres and was built in 2002, according to the leasing materials and property records. 
The restaurant is located in an outparcel of Walmart, at the corner of Cumming Highway and Windward Parkway.  The former KFC also sits across the street from where Chili's closed at the end of 2021 and Romano's Macaroni Grill closed in May 2020.  Surprisingly, the Alpharetta KFC closed just as the company launched Beyond Fried Chicken, a heavily marketed plant-based chicken alternative created in partnership with Beyond Meat.  

Overland Park, Kansas-based KBP Brands, franchisee of more than 800 restaurants nationwide (nearly 700 of which are KFC) was the operator of the former Alpharetta franchise.  FranchiseTimes reported in August 2021 that the franchisee, with operations in 28 states, hit $1 billion in revenue in 2021.

The company operates more than four dozen restaurants in the greater metro Atlanta area including those on Buford Highway in Brookhaven, Northcrest Road in Doraville, Lawrenceville Highway in Tucker and, most notably, The Big Chicken on Cobb Parkway in Marietta, among others.  

Real estate sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta that KFC and Del Taco, among other fast-food chains, have both come to realize their concepts don't resonate well in high income areas.  This realization could explain the closures of several Burger King, Del Taco, and now KFC restaurants in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. [A former KFC on South Main Street in downtown Alpharetta today operates as Salt Factory Pub] It's also worth mentioning that locals tell ToNeTo Atlanta that the Alpharetta KFC had consistently subpar service.  

There is no word yet on what, if anything, is to replace the Alpharetta KFC, but ToNeTo Atlanta knows of at least one concept that pursued but never completed a deal for the site.  Interestingly, according to Fulton County tax records, the KFC parcel is owned by "SHUBERT & BOOTH WINDWARD 3 LLC," a New York City-based entity controlled by The Shubert Organization, owners of two dozen theatres in New York.  

Are you sad to see KFC closed in Alpharetta?  Have you tried the Beyond Fried Chicken at KFC?  What would you like to see open in place of the former KFC in Alpharetta?

Please share your thoughts below.  

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have lived in the area for 20 years, and never once visited this KFC. With a Chick-Fil-A basically next door, I'm surprised this location lasted as long as it did. I never saw anyone there. I predict the Arby's that is literally right behind this KFC in the same shopping center will be the next to go.

Anonymous said...

I feel the closure of this KFC had less to do with the area it was in and more to do with their awful service. Service was terrible and they very often were out of items.

Unknown said...

We have had so many issues with the kfc on windward it suprised us it did not close sooner. Employees were miserable and nasty and the manager was horrible.

Anonymous said...

The KFC was one of the worst managed I visited in over the past 40 years. It was dirty most of the time with a bunch of kids running the place. The food quality was not consistent. Also there were times when one person tried to run the place explaining that several people did not show up.

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