| By Big Radio News Staff |
If you’re a fan of Colonel Sanders’ secret herbs and spices, you’re not going to be happy.
Several Kentucky Fried Chicken stores are abruptly closing in the Stateline, apparently including KFC stores in Janesville and Beloit.
A store manager at the Janesville KFC at 2425 Milton Avenue in Janesville confirms the closures, telling Big Radio on Thursday he’s aware of a swath of locations in his region that are shuttering — including Janesville’s Milton Avenue store and the Beloit store, and some locations in Rockford, Illinois.
The man says the KFC stores officially close Friday, but he says the stores stopped getting chicken and other supplies delivered last week. He says he feels for the 20 or so people who work at the Janesville store who were abruptly let go.
“I’ll be fine, but I’m worried about all the people,” He says.
This comes as two dozen KFC stores in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana operated by Irving, Texas franchise company EYM Chicken were suddenly shut down.
The Janesville KFC is listed in city property tax records as being owned and operated by EYM Realty of Wisconsin. KFC parent company Yum brands confirms some Midwest store closures, calling it a “difficult decision,” but otherwise offering no other explanation.
Fast-service restaurants have faced a shifting landscape of customer habits, food price hikes and payroll increases since coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
EYM Chicken’s Texas corporate offices did not immediately respond to an inquiry by Big Radio.
