Saturday, January 19, 2013

KFC Now Open

The KFC at Lawrence and Sheridan has balloons and banners announcing its Grand Opening.

We stopped by and were happy to see that it's spacious and clean, and was doing quite a bit of business.  The service is still glitch-y, as it is in all new restaurants, but there were a lot of people working there, and a manager on site, so we're sure it'll straighten itself out soon.

The hours are 10am to 10pm.  We wish them success and hope their presence brings some stability to what has been a very iffy strip mall.

15 comments:

  1. Nice I no longer have to drive to Irving and California for those off times when I get a KFC craving. (usually about 4 times a year)

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  2. Love KFC. Welcome to the neighborhood.

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  3. Sorry, but this is not my ideal business choice to have in my neighborhood as I'm more of a snob and don't want to see chicken bones/garbage around the site but I am glad it's not an empty storefront. I think.

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  4. I only come to Uptown once or twice a week anymore but it's still a regular occurrence that somebody leaps out from in front of JJ Peppers and begs for money, hard. Sometimes with tears in their eyes.
    This place is only going to make that worse.

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  5. But that's the thing, Wang Chung, it's not a choice we have. It's the free market. The best we can do is work with the owner, who has just sunk a lot of money converting a laundry into a restaurant franchise, and needs to see it succeed. Hopefully the community, block club, alderman and cops will work with him or her to keep it clean and safe. If people are too disgusted or afraid to show up, then it will fail. It benefits him to keep it from becoming a blight on the community.

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  6. I understand what you mean Caring Neighbor. But we should feel we're more empowered earlier on in the process of new development and businesses in our area. On a grander scale, similar to how we didn't settle for the Sedgwick development..Look at what we received when we demanded better - JDL's proposal.

    All us Uptowners should have a more proactive approach to our neighborhood's development and stop playing the status quo, "wait it out, it will change someday", "we're not good enough yet" game.

    No offense to KFC, this is really just a generalization to ANY new development/business in the area.

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  7. Uptown's been getting better retail lately, and that's the free market at play. Target, Baker and Nosh, Ceres' Table, Pecking Order, The Reservoir, et al, much welcomed.

    But make no mistake, zoning is a huge factor here.

    The only reason that the community got the chance to weigh in on Sedgwick was due to the required zoning change on the property, and Cappleman's decision to have a Zoning and Development Committee. Most wards, including the 46th prior to Cappleman, don't have such a process. In most wards, it's totally up to the alderman to put through a zoning change, or not. When Mary Ann Smith created a zoning committee in the 48th, it was considered quite the radical idea.

    If a property is zoned for an existing business, and a business fitting that designation signs a lease (absent any extenuating circumstances like a liquor moratorium), there's nothing an alderman can do to stand in its way. See Wal-Mart Express in Lakeview as Exhibit A. They signed a lease, the property was zoned for a Wal-Mart, and so they moved in. There wasn't a legal thing to be done to keep them away.

    I'm assuming it's the same deal with KFC taking over a laundromat space in a retail mini-mall.

    What we can do as residents is make Uptown an attractive place for quality retail to open. No one's gonna spend their life's savings to open somewhere they don't think they'll succeed. If you see a business you'd like to see in Uptown, contact them directly or contact Business Partners and have them make a proposal. Spend locally and show that Uptown supports local businesses.

    Despite the efforts of some 1970s throwbacks, the free market rules, even in Uptown.

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  8. Man, KFC is an improvement over a vacant space.

    If you happen to be a chicken lover, dead chicken that is, like me it's a great improvement. If you happen to be a chicken you might disagree.

    Two new chain chicken restaurants opening in a month. Life is good. I suggest all fried chicken lovers also check out Chester's on Broadway. Yummy.

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  9. Fried chicken = yum.

    Though, I've found myself wondering; how would the 11 herbs and spices taste on pigeons..



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  10. Doesn't Uptown have enough chicken places? At least they could of made it the Jamican jerky kind of style chicken. I think they have one on Howard St.

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  11. You know what Uptown has enough of? Empty storefronts.

    You know what I saw at KFC yesterday? Lines going out the door.

    Survey says NO. Not enough chicken places. Supply is meeting demand.

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  12. Once again I am posting that the rumor about Dengeos moving into '' The Best Steakhouse '' location at Broadway and Wilson has been denied by direct conversation with Dengeos in Skokie. But I have been told that it will be a similar Greek fast food restaurant. Only time will tell.

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  13. It would be nice if we could get some actual fine dining restaurants instead of fast food options. I have eaten at Chester's Chicken twice. It was horrible in my option and the no the place is always empty.

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  14. BK,

    We do have some fine or fine"ish" dining options. I'm sure a list will appear here shortly.

    If you've eaten at Chester's twice then it wasn't empty? Git it?

    You may also want to pruufred b4 U hit enter.

    I dont mind the okasional gramatikal or spalling eror, but UU are pushing it.

    PS.

    I walk by Chester's frequently and while I've never seen a line out the door, I have seen patrons in there. I've also eaten there at least four or five times. I believe I qualify as a patron.

    Yummy each time. Then again perhaps my definition of yummy is different from Brian's definition.

    My taste buds bow to your greatness, Sir.

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