The fast-food fried rooster area has a number of contenders vying for the throne. Chick-fil-A has been a market chief, however Popeyes has competed with its once-viral rooster sandwich, whereas Elevating Cane’s has grown shortly, fueled by its cult fanbase and easy menu.
It is an extremely aggressive area the place it is arduous to distinguish your product.
The rooster class elevated 5.3% in 2025, down from 9.1% in 2024 and greater than 12% in 2023, based on Technomic knowledge shared with Nation’s Restaurant Information.
“Final yr, the class was particularly impacted by slowing momentum for the largest gamers. Chick-fil-A’s gross sales grew 5.2% year-over-year, in comparison with 5.4% in 2024, for example,” NRN reported.
Two of the largest names within the area really noticed gross sales drop.
“Popeyes’ gross sales fell 0.5% in 2025, versus 3.9% progress in 2024. KFC had a tricky 2025, with gross sales down 4.6%, whereas in 2024, its gross sales had been down 5.2%,” the information confirmed.
That is a major drop over a two-year interval for KFC, which can clarify why the chain has been closing shops.
KFC has closed 300 shops in a yr
Whereas a lot of the eye has been targeted on KFC’s former sister model, Pizza Hut, which was offered by Yum Manufacturers in June, the rooster model has additionally been struggling, nevertheless it has proven indicators of a signifcant turnaorund.
“KFC delivered 6% system gross sales progress pushed by 7% unit progress and a pair of% same-store gross sales progress. World wide, KFC groups are advancing our Increase the B.A.R. priorities, starting with bettering menu relevance,” Yum Manufacturers CEO Christopher Turner mentioned throughout the chain’s second-quarter earnings name.
Extra Eating places:
Closing underperforming shops may enhance a series’s total gross sales efficiency by eradicating weaker areas.
“An evaluation of KFC finds that at the very least 312 of its U.S. eating places have completely closed between July 15, 2025, and July 6, 2026, a 7.64% discount within the measurement of the chain’s American footprint,” based on Native Falcon.
Native Falcon, an area AI search visibility platform, in contrast KFC’s public retailer locator firstly and finish of the interval. Every restaurant itemizing that had been eliminated and returned a 404 error was then independently verified towards Google Maps.
KFC has made elevated worth a part of its turnaround plan. Yum Manufacturers
KFC wants an id increase
KFC’s struggles come partially as a result of its rivals together with Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and Elevating Cane’s have staked out distinctive model positions. That is one thing KFC has deserted, based on RTM Nexus CEO Dominik Miserandino.
“For many years, KFC relied on a legacy mannequin: promoting heavy, family-sized buckets of bone-in rooster for dinner. However shopper habits shifted quick towards moveable, single-serve comfort,” he instructed TheStreet.
That allowed different chains to usurp its market-leading place.
“Chick-fil-A dominated that shift by perfecting drive-thru velocity, customer support, and the basic rooster sandwich. Then Popeyes swooped in and proved you would ship high-flavor, premium-tier fried rooster with velocity and scale,” he added.
It was additionally a matter of name connection and staying forward of what clients wished.
“Whereas Chick-fil-A and Popeyes constructed fanatical followings, KFC stayed caught up to now with sluggish, advanced bucket meals and outdated shops. By the point KFC tried to pivot to rooster sandwiches and nuggets, the class leaders had already locked up shopper loyalty. KFC received squeezed into the background as a result of they handled rooster like a Sunday household dinner whereas their opponents handled it like a quick, day by day behavior,” he shared.
KFC has made modifications
Turner has been main a turnaround effort at KFC. That features a visible reboot for eating places, in addition to the launch of the Saucy sister model. Classes realized from the fledgling chain are being utilized to the flagship model.
“If you consider battling for the long run shopper, simply a few months in the past, we launched the brand new model visible id. You are going to be seeing that come to life in our imaging and because the model presents itself across the globe,” he mentioned.
Turner additionally promised enhancements within the chain’s meals.
“You have heard us speak about leveraging the learnings from Saucy to enhance our tender formulation. We will have bigger tenders, extra craveable tenders. We’re bringing the vary of sauces, dips, drips and, sorry, sauces, dips and rubs to life to provide extra flavors to our shoppers,” he added.
Restaurant marketing consultant Jeffrey Summers wrote in his LinkedIn web page that KFC went from seven consecutive quarters of detrimental same-store gross sales to back-to-back constructive quarters, however cautioned that the advance was nonetheless modest.
“The turnaround required: a brand new president, a brand new CMO, a brand new chief progress officer, a nationwide marketing campaign admitting failure, the return of Potato Wedges, a viral social media second, a tiered worth structure borrowed from Taco Bell, and two years of labor,” he posted.
That introduced the chain a 1% achieve in same-store gross sales.
“I’m not saying that to decrease what Catherine Tan-Gillespie and her staff achieved. Turning a $5 billion model with 3,500 areas is genuinely arduous work. The admission that Colonel Sanders wouldn’t be comfortable about the place the model had gone was trustworthy and courageous and it labored,” he added.
KFC, nonetheless, does face a difficult market.
“The full variety of rooster chain areas has surged by 46% during the last decade, reflecting a internet enhance of almost 6,200 models — a market response to a transparent demand for the protein,” NRN reported.
