Southern Californians don't have to wait until London 2012 to get their dose of Olympic competition. Beginning Wednesday, August 31, KFC Southern California is putting its best to the test in a KFC Olympics to determine the best chicken cooks in the Southland.
Coming on the heels of the KFC SoCal Colonel's 120th birthday tour, in which the second-generation Colonel checked in on Southern California cooks to ensure the Original Recipe chicken was being prepared properly, the never-satisfied Colonel is putting his best cooks to the test in a KFC "Chicken Olympics." Through mid-October, KFC SoCal and the Colonel, who, like his predecessor, hails from Kentucky, will host five regional chicken cook-offs that culminate in an Olympic Finals October 11 in Westminster, California.
Participants will be competing for a cash prize of $500 and the top honor of being designated Southern California's best KFC Cook, a coveted title in the nation's chicken capital with more than 700 competing chicken restaurants. Competing cooks will be judged on the preparation of three KFC staples: Original Recipe, Kentucky Grilled Chicken, and the Colonel's Extra Crispy Strips. Judges will evaluate the three final products on the basis of uniformity and overall appearance.
"KFC makes America's best fried chicken, so naturally we wanted to seek out and reward the best cooks that deliver on the Colonel's promise and high expectations with a fun, but very real, competition," says Shahid Chaudhry, vice president of the SoCal KFC Advertising Association.
Kicking off Wednesday, August 31, in Corona, California, the regionals stop in Santa Ana, Escondido, and Los Angeles before concluding at the finals at a KFC restaurant in Westminster. Awards will be handed out in a ceremony October 12 at the Taco Bell corporate headquarters in Irvine, California. Taco Bell is a sister brand to KFC under the Yum! Brands, Inc., umbrella.
KFC Olympics
August 31 — Inland Empire Regional: 1151 W. 6th St., Corona, CA 92882.
September 7 — Orange County Regional: 762 S. Harbor, Santa Ana, CA 92704.
September 13 — San Diego Regional: 639 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025
September 14 — San Fernando Regional: 1244 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019
September 21 — Los Angeles Regional: 3061 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066
October 11 — Finals: 6641 Westminster Blvd., Westminster, CA 92683
October 12 — Awards Ceremony: 1 Glen Bell Way, Irvine, CA 92618
