Police called to KFC Te Awamutu over lack of chicken

Police were called to the Te Awamutu branch of KFC yesterday when feathers flew over a lack of chicken that saw one irate customer “lose the plot” when she couldn’t get her deep-fried fix.

A local police sergeant told the Herald that the woman became enraged when she was told she would not be getting her chicken and would have to wait days for a refund.

“A female ordered chicken online and when she went down, she was told they couldn’t fulfil her order, so they have obviously run out, and that she wouldn’t get her refund for about three days so she’s obviously lost the plot.”

The sergeant said that police acted to keep the peace during the stoush which saw the woman exhibiting behaviour a police spokesperson described as “verbally aggressive”.

KFC fans across the motu will know the pain of arriving to find that the Colonel is running low and many online commenters were not shocked that the fast food giant was unable to deliver on its major selling point.

“Good ol’ T.A. and it’s Kentucky F ALL CHICKEN restaurant. You would think that someone would put a sign out saying no chicken as usual,” one disgruntled Te Awamutu local wrote.

Another local woman told the Herald that the restaurant was regularly the target of online scorn after running out of chicken.

One problem solver pointed out the restaurant was directly across the road from a supermarket and asked why they could not secure more product.

“I’ve said this so many times. I’m sure that boy that mops the already mopped floors can run across and grab some bloody chicken ffs.”

Another suggested a solution that was outside the takeaway box.

“KFC should ask Mcdz for chicken and chips when they run out and Mcdz should ask KFC for their ice cream machine,” they wrote.

But the situation in the picturesque Waipa District town may be altogether more complicated with locals commenting that the store had recently been running out of many of its staples as it prepared for renovation.

Photos shared last night showed the restaurant preparing to close with boxes stacked inside and the store was listed online as closed today, with the phone going unanswered.

A KFC spokesperson confirmed that the store closed yesterday to undergo refurbishment and apologised to any customers who “unexpectedly weren’t able to enjoy their favourite chicken”, claiming that, despite the store’s inability to fulfil the woman’s order, there was “no chicken shortage”. They said that staff look forward to welcoming customers back into an upgraded store next month, adding that the drive-thru will reopen on Friday, November 11 and the fully operational restaurant on Friday, November 18.

The KFC outlet in Te Awamutu stacked with boxes last night.

Fury over potato and gravy change

The Te Awamutu incident comes after KFC responded to nationwide customer fury after claims its potato and gravy has a “chemical” and “plastic” taste following the company’s decision to change containers.

Over the past few weeks, a large number of customers were left concerned at the “yucky, soapy” and “plastic” tasting nature of the potato and gravy.

Customers all over the country, including Auckland, Thames, Blenheim and Greymouth, claimed their meals were ruined by the change - and have taken to KFC’s Facebook page to complain.

The outcry has prompted New Zealand Food Safety to say it will contact KFC to discuss the issue.

After more than two days, Restaurant Brands, the parent company of KFC, responded to the Herald, shutting down speculation the recipe had changed.

“We can confirm our Potato and Gravy recipe has not changed. In line with the new Government regulations, and after extensive quality assurance and in-store testing, we have updated the packaging for our Potato and Gravy to an approved polypropene material that can be recycled,” a Restaurant Brands spokesperson said.

“This product is used widely across the New Zealand food service industry and is specifically designed for hot food, and we can confirm this is not a food safety issue.”