Chicking Christchurch — Restaurant in Christchurch

Still new, so there are a few teething issues. The big one is, everyone wants to try it and its not physically designed to function at that capacity. I will compare to our big box chicken outlet, most people will. The shop is small, but very nice aesthetically. 2 self service kiosks and 2 tills at the front counter. That will be fine in a few months, once everyone has tried it, but for now, its a stretch. Only 3 chicken trays for makeing up orders. 2 standard and 1 hot n spicey, plus the trays are smaller than KF. Only 1 basin for fries. I went in at 11.30am and there were approx 15 waiting for food. The wait was just short of 15 minutes from ordering. The problem? They ran out of chicken and fries, but the backlog was understandable. They are just soo busy. The food: Personally, underwhelming. Normal chicken was ok, herbs and spices...yeah, ok. The chicken portion size, about the same as KF. The hot n spicey is bloody hot, but the crunchy coat is chemically manufactured in my opinion. Its like, a fake crunchy..But bloody hot FRIES: IDENTICAL to Maccas. Shoestrong bland soft flavorless Potatoe n gravy. I am guessing powdered for sure. The portion container is 1/2 the size of KF., But its full. And as KF. is usually 1/2 empty, probably similar. But the flavour and texture profile is very underwhelming. Would I go back? No.. Front of house staff are doung great. One was very friendly and helpful and happy. The other, May have just had her wisdom teeth out, or maybe her pet mouse died... On its own merits, it will do OK. I doubt though, the Colonel is too worried. He has no need tob be This franchise is out of Durbai with 400 shops in 35 countries, so there is a market for this...

Perfect—let's throw that in and give it the full sarcastic treatment:

I waited a solid 30 minutes for my food—long enough to reflect on every poor decision that led me to that counter. While I waited, I was treated to a masterclass in what not to do in food service. The woman behind the counter dropped the tongs and a piece of rubbish on the floor. She then picked up the rubbish with the tongs, shoved it into the bin like it was part of a choreographed routine, and—because apparently health codes are just suggestions—went right back to using those same tongs to serve chicken. Bold move.

When my food finally arrived, it was missing the drink I paid for—but plot twist, they were out of that drink anyway. So really, they just skipped the part where they pretended to care. As a bonus twist, I ordered two of the same burger and somehow got two completely different versions—each one missing random ingredients like it was a sad game of culinary roulette.

At this point, I wasn’t even mad—I was just curious how many ways one order could go wrong. If you're looking for a chaotic food experience and a chance to test your immune system, this is your spot....

Chicken is always a good choice!! …or so I thought. Turns out, chicken can be bad. This place proves it. Feels like they fried it hours ago and just left it sitting in the warmer. It was super dry, the spicy coating was completely separated from the chicken, and there was zero seasoning—just bland.

On top of that, the kitchen is visible, and honestly, it didn’t look safe or hygienic at all. There were plastic bags lying around, exposed wires, and overall, it just didn’t give off the vibe of a professional franchise.

Also, I’ve seen some reviews saying the service was great… but seriously, what kind of service do you even need here? Do people go to KFC expecting top-notch service? It’s a franchise—you just grab your food and sit down. That kind of praise feels fake. I mean, sure, they prepare and hand over the food, and I appreciate that. But beyond that? Let’s be real.

The fact that I’m now appreciating a local fried chicken shop...