KFC's Refusal to Give Away Grilled Chicken Sparks Sit-In?

The scene outside a crowded KFC just moments ago, where a manager had barred entry to the establishment, leaving what appears to be a dejected Wally Shawn stuck outside muttering, "Inconceivable."

[UPDATE BELOW] Yesterday Oprah Winfrey thought she'd be nice and arrange for free KFC grilled chicken for everybody. Big mistake. The demand for free fowl has been so overwhelming that many people are having a dickens of a time getting their chickens because the website can't handle all the coupon downloads. This morning Grub Street compiled some of the more "heart wrenching" comments from thwarted KFC consumers on Oprah's site, such as "I'M MELTING CAN'T GET THE COUPONS PLEASE IS THERE ANOTHER WAY OF GETTING THEM ???? HUNGRY FOR THE CHIICKEN" and "Nice gesture since I am unemployed and a free dinner would have been nice. I could not download the coupon."

And now this harrowing report from the scene of a KFC on 42nd Street between Madison and Park has landed in our inbox:

I went over to our nearest KFC a few minutes ago...and chaos ensued. Despite the very visible grilled chicken behind the register, the manager told everyone with coupons to leave and that the promotion was over for the day. The people there are currently holding a sit-in and refusing to leave until they get their free chicken...or the cops are called. Racial epithets were being spewed, people who actually wanted to pay for chicken were facing a potential beatdown, and the manager ran from the screaming horde. Oprah, what have ye wrought?

More than a dozen calls placed to the KFC in question have been met with an ominous busy signal. We can only assume a riot squad is currently cracking skulls to save that last defenseless grilled chicken from the freeloading mob. Developing...

UPDATE: The photo seen here was just sent to us from our source, who returned to the KFC in question but was unable to get inside to assess the situation. We're told that "unfortunately the manager is now standing in the entrance and all of the patrons are inside since it's post-lunch rush." We can only assume it's a bloodbath in there. Still developing...

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Food on May 6, 2009 3:05 PM

Comments [rss]

russ

Let's get something straight folks.

Exersize equiptment won't magically get you in shape.

You have to use it.

KFC, McDonalds, Burger King and the rest don't make people fat.

People make themselves fat by overindulging and often.

Snoopy

KFC! Kentucky FRIED chicken. I don't read a G in that title. Grilled chicken is something like Koreans and the street meat people make. What's wrong with that message?

Jack D. Ripper

Me and Al Sharpton are going for Obama Fried Chicken.

Snoopy

I hear you bro. If all this eating of super fried stuff is so bad, why might I ask are all these people going back for refills. Shouldn't they be dead by now?

I have a sister in law that has weighed over three hundred pounds for the last thirty years and smokes a pack and a half a day and there she is, wakes up every morning and watches TV. She will be sixty at the end of the month. Go figure all you doctors and other experts.

The Edge

Eating fast food several times a day, every day WILL kill you.

However, going in once in awhile (like, say, MAYBE 2-3 times a month) isn't going to do much to you that hasn't already been done already.

So all this mockrage over KFC is silly and unamusing.. except for felixthefat2.

Nyctini11

LOL

irishjdf

Frak KFC grilled chicken. It is another attempt at rotisserie chicken or tender roast...both attempts that failed in the past.

Go to Pollo Campero and try their grilled chicken. It is so much better!

roxanne

Please refrain from all these personal attacks on others. Be courteous to other gothamist readers. Do we need to read about handjobs and clown asses? If you don't agree with someone then respond with facts instead of resorting to juvenile names. It really is distateful to some readers of this site.

Radtard

Thank you all!!!

You are all nutjobs, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Snoopy

Maybe Oprah didn't pay the necessary vig to the crips and the bloods so the deliveries could get through.

Spirit of 76

I took a look when I heard about it yesterday and found the site overloaded. I did get through later in the night, but when they insisted I download an application to print out the coupon, I left the site. It's only two pieces of chicken and a couple of sides anyway. It's not worth all this fuss.

NannyState

Exactly. Pathetic. Nothing from the likes of KFC is ever free, we're paying and paying for it even if we never step into their artery-claudifying whipped chicken fat-injected breadcrumb nugget palaces. It's laboratory food. Someone in New Jersey stumbled over some test tubes and voila! "Secret Recipe".

felixthecat2

The edge, crazy is someone who stalks a person in gothamist for their criticism of a school bombing. You are such a nut that you even post a list of my presumed likes and dislikes. I have every right to criticize a school bombing, the issue with your type is that any criticism of Israel is consider an act of war and you won't let up. you really are a nut. Valeriob is a peasant, whose juvenile comments are not even worth responding. I won't even let him shine my shoes now.

valeriob

Why are you still talking?

I told you, you are a joke here. A clown. An Assclown.

Enough.

felixthecat2

you still can't shine my shoes peasant and I sure you will stalk me again since you are the clown.

FunChop

Felix makes me think of a southpark episode. I can't decide if he's a turd sandwich or a giant douche. Personally, I lean toward giant douche.

wobbleSmith

oh. my. god.

look, if you are that convinced you are right about everything, the internet -- much less GOTHAMIST -- is not the place to get on your soapbox. you are just going to be antagonized. look how much fun everyone is having ripping on you.

write a book or something. get booked on oprah to promote it. then tell her and the rest of us idiots what's what.

until then, take a deep breath of something narcotic and chill the fuck out.

felixthecat2

first of all they are so miserable with themselves that they need to post juvenile remarks about handjobs and whatever. Do you really think I care? The point is that this thread wouldn't have been so long if i didn't have the same stalkers mostly valeriob and theedge on my ass every day. But does it matter, no because my beliefs which are based on facts are strong. And they are too cowards to rip anyone. This is their only form of aggression. Quite laughable. anyhow i did now fall behind on my work but i will leave it to tomorrow. Time for the gym and then a nice vegan dinner. PEACE . LMFAO