Chick-fil-A Drive-In, Industry Workforce, KFC Closings

Chick-fil-A is opening its snazzy new drive-thru today. Located about 30 miles south of Atlanta, the restaurant has four drive-thru lanes — two for customers who place their order ahead on their phones and two for traditional drive-thru customers.

There are fewer employees in the hospitality industry than originally expected. The US Department of Labor revised its employment estimates downward on Wednesday as part of a normal review of its data. The number of employees was revised downward by 0.9 percent or 818,000.

Eight KFC restaurants in the Peoria and Rockford, Illinois markets have suddenly closed, according to local news reports and confirmed by the chain. The restaurants are owned by EYM Chicken Operations, which franchises KFC, Pizza Hut, Panera and Denny’s in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana.

Editor’s note: Since recording, that number has risen to 25 closed restaurants.

Speaking of KFC, the company is testing a new “KFC Original” design as well as new features in 16 restaurants in the Orlando, Florida area. These features include digital ordering kiosks, a kitchen display system, new employee uniforms and menu items like KFC Twisters and frozen drinks.

Get all the headlines in today’s Restaurant Daily podcast.