KFC Is Getting Rid of 5 Popular Menu Items (2024)

If your go-to KFC order involves Popcorn Chicken with a medium strawberry lemonade and a chocolate chip cookie, then, wow, do we have some bad news for you. According to a spokesperson for the Louisville-based chain, it is currently undergoing a “menu simplification,” which means pulling several items from its restaurants.

Yahoo Finance reports, the soon-to-be discontinued items include Kentucky Fried Chicken Wings, Popcorn Chicken Combo, Nashville Hot Sauce, Strawberry Lemonade, and Chocolate Chip Cookies.

“We have strategically worked to simplify menu boards to make ordering easier for guests and create operational efficiencies for our restaurant team members,” Brittany Wilson, the director of KFC U.S., said. “We took a deep look at the mix of the menu to see where consolidation would make sense, and we rolled out new menu boards in November 2022. Though we are removing a few items, it will allow us to make room for some new, exciting additions to the menu in 2023.”

KFC Reveals How its Chicken Is Actually Cooked

Those particular items were selected either because they weren’t being offered at all KFC locations nationwide, because their sales weren’t increasing, or both.

Although some KFC regulars — or those who were really into Popcorn Chicken — may be disappointed, franchise owners believe that streamlining the menu could make their kitchens more efficient. Justin Stewart, the COO of Stewart Restaurant Group, told Yahoo Finance that his restaurants have cut their drive-thru times by 11 seconds.

“Our team members have been able to package orders more quickly, due to having [fewer] items on our pack line,” he said, before adding that the order accuracy has also improved after the chain removed “less popular menu items.”

KFC has not confirmed whether those selections will be replaced with other options — but it has been trying out a couple of new recipes in the southeast. Last summer, it started testing hand-breaded chicken nuggets in Charlotte, North Carolina, and earlier this week, it announced that it was giving two new chicken sandwiches a run-out. The BBQ KFC Chicken Sandwich and Spicy Slaw Chicken Sandwich are both available at participating KFC locations in Tampa, Florida.

“This limited test of the Ultimate BBQ and Spicy Slaw chicken sandwiches is part of a continued commitment to giving customers more of what they want,” Nick Chavez, the chief marketing officer for KFC U.S., said earlier this week.“We know our customers are looking for new, distinctive sandwich options, and the Ultimate BBQ and Spicy Slaw offer flavor variety that builds on classic KFC ingredients. We think fans of spicy food will particularly love the kick of heat in our Spicy Slaw Sandwich.”