August 20, 2026 / Brightgram
You’d likely guess that KFC is the country’s biggest fried chicken chain, with 4,100 locations. But No. 2 is less obvious. It’s not Chick-fil-A (3,100 locations), Popeyes (2,000) or Church’s (975) but Krispy Krunchy Chicken.
Who?
KKC flies under the radar by cleverly leveraging gas stations and convenience stores that have full kitchens and fryers. A lot of them. Founded in 1989 in Lafayette, La., the privately held company numbers 3,600 locations in 49 states. It even has the quaint origin story of being started by a single convenience store owner, Neal Onebane, a real-life Cajun with a very good fried chicken recipe…
Since 2022, the Portland metro area has seen a 400% increase in KKC locations, jumping from seven to 35. By the end of 2026, the chain is scheduled to push that number to 43.
Krispy Krunchy Chicken is not a franchisor but a licensor. This means locations looking to add KKC don’t need to pay an upfront franchise fee—which can often exceed $50,000 with other chains—or ongoing royalties. Instead KKC defines some strict size and equipment requirements, provides training, then sells the food, packaging and marketing materials directly to operators, who prepare and price it independently. The chicken is delivered to each location fresh, not frozen, multiple times each week. Operators bread and fry on the premises. Estimated upfront startup costs can range from $10,000 to $50,000 depending on the build-out and permitting required.
Portland’s story with KKC starts at the Parkrose Shell station at 9920 NE Sandy Blvd., which in 2015 became one of the earliest KKC licensees on the West Coast.
Read More: https://www.wweek.com/food/