Kentucky Fried Fallujah Fake Fools FOX

[RebLem]

August 05, 2008 || Philadelphia Weekly

Troops In Danger Of Consuming Fake KFC

The crack morning show team at Fox & Friends reported last week on a KFC now open in Fallujah. For some reason the U.S. military reported on the opening of a branch of the fried chicken chain, instead of some sort of company spokesperson. Anyway, the opening of a fried chicken restaurant in Fallujah meant that Iraqi citizens were no longer killing each other and were doing their killing the American way: To themselves, by clogging their arteries.

Anywho, it turns out the KFC in Fallujah is an unauthorized knockoff, as if you hadn't already guessed. (Why else would I be writing about it?) TPMMuckraker got this comment from a KFC spokeschicken:

I understand you wanted some details about the store in Falluja that looks like a KFC. This store is not approved by KFC International and we have [been] working with the US Military to warn the troops of this situation.

Yes, please warn the troops immediately! We wouldn't want them eating chicken not up to the colonel's usual standards.

I also enjoyed this little bit at the end of the article:

We've also called the number of the faux KFC itself, but no one at the restaurant seems to speak English. Gee, nobody seems to speak English at the bootleg KFC in Fallujah? I think they're just stonewalling, scared of the muckraking about to take place. Someone will get to the bottom of this.

KFC In Fallujah? Too Finger-Licking Good To Be True [TPMMuckraker]

http://willdo.philadelphiaweekly.com/ar ... dange.html

I always wondered what Colonel Sanders would look like in combat fatigues. RebLem.

Posted on August 7th, 2008, the 1,926th day after Shrub announced that major combat operations in Iraq had ended, the 89th day before the November 4th US general election, and the 166th day before the end of the Cheney Kakistocracy. RebLem

[piston]

Iraqis probably understood "KFC" to mean "Kill Fallujah Chickens."

[Ralph]

We need a "surge" of fast food outlets in countries we occupy.

[Ted]

I guess if they had been open on the first day of "Shock and Awe they would have done a "booming" business on "extra crispy"

[Cosima__J]

Could it be worse than a real KFC?

[Gary]

Does it contain trans fat?

[Corlyss_D]

Fox News got the story from military.com. A more informative and less gloatingly snotty account is at the TPM article referenced at the bottom of the Philly squib.

KFC Sizzles in Fallujah
July 17, 2008
Marine Corps News|by Cpl. Chris T. Mann

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Only a short time ago the city of Fallujah served as stronghold for insurgents. Daily skirmishes, improvised explosive device detonations and public unease made operating a business in the city very difficult.

Today, with improved security throughout the region, the low price of 4,000 dinar, or $3.50, will purchase a full meal at the recently established Kentucky Fried Chicken in the Hey Al Dubat area of the city.

The KFC is the first to open for business in the city. Before improved conditions in the city, insurgents threatened business owners, demanding money to support acts of terrorism.

After a quick visit to the Fallujah Business Center during routine operations July 16, Marines with Regimental Combat Team 1's Security Platoon and with Information Operations, talked with employees at the franchise to evaluate its success.

"We stopped to check up on the KFC to see how things were going," said 1st Lt. Michael C. Bryant, platoon commander with Battery M, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, RCT 1. "You can tell that the area is returning to normal, especially when you see fast food places in the area doing so well."

The restaurant has several employees, and three that work full time. Employees there serve an average 25 customers per day.

The Marines often take time to assess economic progress and gauge community activities during missions in the city.

After several short conversations with employees and patrons, the Marines ordered food to take back to Camp Fallujah for lunch.

"I think it is awesome to see a business doing so well in Fallujah, and not have to worry about safety or corruption," said Bryant, a 25-year-old from Colorado Springs, Colo.

Security over the past several years has reached an all-time high in Fallujah and many of the surrounding areas. The increase can be accredited to Coalition forces conducting patrols and security missions, as well as Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army retaking control of a majority of the Anbar region.

"I remember when I was here last in July 2004 and things were much different than they are now," said Sgt. Steve J. Arnoux, a 25-year-old vehicle commander from Browning, Mont. "When we would go out on convoys in the city, the attitude was a lot different. It seemed like we were just waiting to get ambushed. Now we stop at KFC."

Citizens of the area can now work steady jobs, where as prior conditions kept many from even coming to work on a daily basis.

"I love the work here, because we have the opportunity to go to work every day," said a KFC employee.

A vid of the troops checking out the fake KFC. http://www.anorak.co.uk/twitterings/186015.html

If you want to crow about someone being fooled, crow about the Marines and the reporter at military.com being fooled. They were the sources of the report. Obviously no one checked with KFC until long after the story originally appeared.

[RebLem]

A vid of the troops checking out the fake KFC. http://www.anorak.co.uk/twitterings/186015.html

If you want to crow about someone being fooled, crow about the Marines and the reporter at military.com being fooled. They were the sources of the report. Obviously no one checked with KFC until long after the story originally appeared.

Geez, Drinkard, wouldn't that be Step 1 for any competent reporter?

But, I just did a little figuring. 25 meals a day @ $3.50 per meal (their sales) is $87.50 a day. Assuming that the raw food costs half that and has to be plowed immediately back in for next day's supplies, that leaves $43.75 left. There's 3 FT employees and 22 PT. Assuming the 22 PT together work only as much as 1 FT employee, and its almost certainly much more, and that the owner takes only the same amount as a FT employee to pay back whatever loans he got for equipment and furniture for the business, that's $8.75 apiece for the owner and each of the FT employees. Not a lot, folks, and that's making some extremely generous assumptions about the owner's costs and desire to share.

Posted on August 8th, 2008, the 1,927th day after Shrub announced that major combat operations in Iraq had ended, the 88th day before the November 4th US general election, and the 165th day before the end of the Cheney Kakistocracy. RebLem

[Corlyss_D]

A vid of the troops checking out the fake KFC. http://www.anorak.co.uk/twitterings/186015.html

If you want to crow about someone being fooled, crow about the Marines and the reporter at military.com being fooled. They were the sources of the report. Obviously no one checked with KFC until long after the story originally appeared.

Geez, Drinkard, wouldn't that be Step 1 for any competent reporter?

You'd think what occurred to the TPM reporter would have occurred to the Cpl. Perhaps he was doing a human interest angle on the Marines' excitement at finding this place and the oddity of a KFC in Fallujah didn't strike him. It seems strange too since those American fast food franchises are within the Green Zone or on American bases. Well, how much experience does a Cpl. have being a reporter anyway? As for the Fox and Friends lot, they are entertainers, not reporters. Doucy used to be with WRC in DC; he was their color guy, you know, doing puff pieces on county fairs, the local notables, and cute kids or cute dogs doing cute things.

Not a lot, folks, and that's making some extremely generous assumptions about the owner's costs and desire to share.

Look at the vid. I bet two of the men's wives are still steamed about them taking their kitchen tables and chairs.