Customers clucking about new KFC location in Coventry Township
The latest Akron-area KFC opened more than a week earlier than expected, and it's already cooking up a lot of interest in Coventry Township.
The restaurant was originally scheduled to open Jan. 8, but opened early on Thursday, generating a storm of excitement on social media.
The restaurant is located on Manchester Road across the street from the Coventry Elementary School. The area features a lot of fried chicken competition, from Showcase Meats about 1.5 miles away, and Barberton chicken locations to west.
Poultry fans cheer new Coventry Township KFC
The early arrival of the Col. Sanders' 11 herbs and spices to the Portage Lakes was met with enthusiasm from KFC fans in the region.
Akron resident Brett Faidley stopped by Friday for a chicken sandwich after hearing the restaurant had opened. He's a Barberton chicken fan but gives KFC the edge.
"I've been eating [KFC] a long time," he said. "They give you a better deal if they don't mess up."
'They are going to see a lot of volume'
Donnalyn and Marcellar Turner of Akron said they came to the Coventry Township location on Friday after seeing online that it was open.
"We knew it was coming, but we didn't know exactly when," Marcellar Turner said. "They are going to see a lot of volume here."
The location also is more convenient for the KFC fans in southern Summit County, who had been making the trek to Cuyahoga Falls.
"It's a lot closer than driving to State Road," Donnalyn Turner said.
KFC franchisee sees more Summit County locations
Dennis Reed, vice president of restaurant performance for franchisee Kendall House Inc., said the company has 21 locations in Ohio from Mansfield and Wooster to Dover and Zanesville. It also operates the Cuyahoga Falls and Waterloo Road locations.
Reed said the restaurant was able to open before the original Jan. 8 target date and business has been strong.
"Everything fell into place and it was ready," he said Friday. "Last night was extremely busy."
He said he's noticed people driving by for the last week, checking to see if the new KFC was open for business. The Akron-area locations have performed well and he expects another to open in the near future.
"It's probably going to be on West Market in Akron," he said.
Customer, resident calls for better access
Brian Frank, a township resident who lives near the KFC, said he's concerned about lack of access to the establishment from Rood Drive. Customers who can't get to the restaurant that way have been circling back down his dead end street nearby, he said.
"Some [driver] just ran into my trash can," he said Friday.
Another driver almost hit his parked car, he said. He said about 50 cars ended up at the end of his street on Thursday, with the stream continuing Friday.
Frank doesn't blame KFC and has already been a customer, but said he's emailed trustees about getting access on Rood.
"It needs to happen," he said.
Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Customers clucking about new KFC location in Coventry Township
