By Geoffrey Faucheux
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KFC : three letters now known to everyone, in the four corners of the world. In fact, the chain of fast food american Kentucky Fried Chickencreated in 1939 and specialized in dishes based on fried chickennow has more than 22,000 restaurants distributed in 135 countries, including of course, France.
KFC in Seine-et-Marne
Today, the American chain KFC has no less than eleven restaurants in Seine-et-Marne. However, most of them are located in the north of the department. Here is the list of the group’s establishments in the territory: Melun, Savigny-le-Temple, Servon, Pontault-Combault, Lognes, Torcy, Chanteloup-en-Brie, Saint-Thibault-des-Vignes, Meaux, Claye-Souilly, Saint -Tuesday. Note that a new establishment of the brand will open its doors in Esmans, near Montereau, in December 2022 (to read in the pages Montereau and its surroundings).
250 points of sale in France
From Paris to Perpignan via Lorient, Strasbourg and Besançon, the fast food brand has more than 250 points of sale in France (against 120 in 2010 and only 11 in 2001), and it intends to continue at this frantic pace over the next few years: “We do not intend to stop there, assures KFC on its website. Faced with the success of our Buckets in France, we want to reach the milestone of 500 restaurants within 10 years”.
But if almost everyone has already heard of the Col. Sanders (founder, promoter and today emblem of the brand), of his real name Harland David Sandersfew people, even among the absolute fans of the most famous fried chicken, can claim to know where the first French KFC was established.
Yet many of you readers probably live nearby or have shopped there before. And for good reason, it’s in the mall Crossroads of Villiers-en-Bierelocated between Fontainebleau and Melun, that the very first restaurant of the American chain opened its doors.
Closure in 2003
An inauguration that does not date from yesterday, since it was 31 years ago, and more precisely in September 1991 that French customers have discovered this new brand, which has since been all the rage throughout the country. For the occasion, “ a crowd of guests had been able to taste the new menuspecially created for the European market and offered for the first time in France”, explains an article by The Republic of Seine-et-Marne dated September 30, 1991 (see photo above).
In addition to the presence of the mayor of Villiers-en-Bière, Mr. Thuégazseveral pundits of the company had also made the trip to celebrate this big day for the company, like peter wallerthen managing director for France, Germany and the Netherlands, but above all Allan S. HustonChairman of KFC International.
However, the adventure of the king of fried chicken in Villiers-en-Bière will not last and will stop in May 2003, 12 years after its creation. Finally, it should be noted that the creation of the KFC in Villiers-en-Bière even predates the birth of KFC Francethe French branch of the American channel, only launched in 2000with the aim of strengthening the development of the brand in France.
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