Older KFC Locations

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StoreLiker2005

Older KFC Locations

Post by StoreLiker2005 »

Hi Gang,

Does anyone remember how the 1st (known) KFC in Portland, OR, located at 5009 SE Powell Blvd, used to look back in the '60s, '70s and '80s?

From my parents' perspective, this was a KFC operated jointly as Speck's when it opened circa 1965.

The original rotating bucket sign is still intact despite it receiving a new exterior look as of late. Its original exterior would have had the Colonel's likeness on the top portion with a red banner below with the words "Kentucky Fried Chicken" in black and inside of it.

As for the building, it might have had a red colored roof (before the days of the white and red vertical striping).

Benjamin (StoreLiker2005)
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Post by jamcool »

I know before the late 60s KFC buckets were white and brown.

Until the 70s most of the KFC franchises had the owners name combined with Kentucky Fried Chicken. In PHX, KFC stores were called "Harman's Kentucky Fried Chicken"-Which was one of the first franchises approved by the Colonel hisself.
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Post by hypernick1980 »

Harman's Kentucky Fried Chicken was the first franchisee for KFC, the frist restaurant was located at 3900 S State Street in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was recently demolished and replaced with a new restuarant at the same site.
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Post by tesg »

Is the old former Kentucky Fried Chicken building on Canyon Rd in Beaverton still standing? THAT was cool. It was a red barn.

Oh, and regarding the original Harman's KFC...

Image

Old building

Image

New building

I thought it was dumb to demolish the original franchise building, but the new building is REALLY nice. It sort of doubles as a museum and has a lot of KFC and Harman history inside.
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Post by Groceteria »

But can anything top the big chicken of Marietta, Georgia?

Image Image
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Neat KFC photos!

Post by storeliker »

Neat KFC photos! Cant believe they would get rid of that old store for the new one. A real piece of Americana lost. I wonder what they did with the head?
The chicken KFC is one I have never seen before either. I always remember seeing them square with the roof and weather vane on top and rotating bucket outside.
I would be real surprised if any of these prototypes exist anymore or even the rotating buckets for that matter. It started to go down hill when they switched the rolls for biscuits and replaced old script with typewriter style script before it was changed to KFC name.
I still like there chicken though!
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Post by tesg »

The head on the Harman sign...in fact, a recreation of that whole sign...actually exists at the new location. It's just not in my picture.

Here's a picture with the sign.

Image

David, that big chicken head is AWESOME.
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Post by Groceteria »

tesg wrote:David, that big chicken head is AWESOME.
The really cool thing is that the beak moves, in a chewing sort of motion. I have to make a trip up there to see it every time I'm in Atlanta just to remind myself how cool it is.
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The "Big Chicken" in Marietta

Post by krogerclerk »

IIRC, the KFC in Marietta began as an independent chicken restaurant that became a KFC in the 1960's and the Big Chicken predates the location being a KFC. The eyes originally wiggled but caused considerable
vibration in the tower and were turned off, I think the beak may have crowed as well. The store was damaged by fire in the early 90's and was virtually rebuilt. The location is such a landmark that is often used as a directions landmark for Marietta and Cobb Parkway.
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Post by Toby Radloff »

Kenny King's operated Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises with their drive-in family restaurants, going back to the mid-1950's. They had exclusive franchise rights to KFC in NE OH until at least the late 1990's, when their last full service restaurants closed. I think the company still operates some KFC's here. but don't know offhand. Kenny King's was one of the first KFC franchisees. Their other specialties was their "Big King" double decker hamburger (Kenny King's answer to the Big Boy...Manners Big Boy was Kenny King's direct competition), as well as their battered onion rings...I loved Kenny King's onion rings, and could never find another restaurant that served anything even close...the batter was very crunchy and seasoned just right, although they were a bit on the greasy side.
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Post by rich »

The Kenny King's onion rings were a favorite of mine, too, and I preferred the "Big King" to the chicken. The rings were unique--often the batter dipped have a plastic or rubbery texture or a doughy taste. Their's had none of those problems.
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Re:

Post by Ulver »

Groceteria wrote:But can anything top the big chicken of Marietta, Georgia?

Image Image

The KFC "Big Chicken" location in Marietta, actually was the home of "Johnny Reb's" years before. There were other colorful locations as well, including Roosevelt Highway (IIRC), one near Cumberline Mall, and one in the heart of downtown.
Image
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Re: Older KFC Locations

Post by TenPoundHammer »

Are there any KFC's still left over that use this prototype building? http://www.notfoolinganybody.com/22montevista/ What era is that from anyway? I'm guessing 1960s.
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Re: Older KFC Locations

Post by Brian Lutz »

Speaking of the original KFC in Salt Lake, I stopped in for a visit here when I was down in Utah this week and took a few photos. For a KFC, the place is huge, and features a buffet (something i haven't seen in any of the KFCs around where I live) and a conference/banquet room. It also features one of Colonel Sanders' original suits on display inside.

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Re: Older KFC Locations

Post by tkaye »

Brian Lutz wrote:For a KFC, the place is huge, and features a buffet (something i haven't seen in any of the KFCs around where I live) and a conference/banquet room.
The Broadway KFC in Everett and the Sequim KFC both had buffets in the mid-'90s. (No banquet rooms, of course.) I can't imagine most KFC locations having enough patronage to regularly turn over much of the food on the buffet line. The dining room was pretty well empty the few times I visited the Everett KFC while it had a buffet. It's back to being a standard KFC while the Sequim restaurant has been converted to a Taco Bell-KFC combo.

I have to admit that the Everett KFC was the first time I'd ever seen a sign reminding customers that "HEALTH DEPT. REGULATIONS REQUIRE THE USE OF A NEW PLATE WITH EACH TRIP TO THE BUFFET." At the time, I thought that would be common sense, but I've seen similar signs in other places since then, so it's apparently not!
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