The American Fast Food Chicken Chain That's About To Get A Norwegian Debut

Good news for any Norwegians with a hankering for the Colonel's 11 herbs and spices: KFC is expanding into the country for the first time ever. Apollo Group purchased the existing chicken chain Fly Chicken with plans to convert most of its 19 locations into KFC restaurants. Additional locations are expected to open over the next five years. The chain, which was founded in 2018, currently serves fried chicken along with chicken sandwiches, loaded fries, and a range of hot sauces. Unlike KFC, Fly Chicken only offers legs, wings, and tenders rather than buckets featuring a variety of chicken pieces.

Fried chicken is not unheard of in Norway, but it's surprisingly rare. One Norwegian chain, Crispy Fried Chicken, opened in 2017 and called itself the first dedicated fried chicken chain in the country. It now has 18 locations and focuses on nuggets, wings, and the ever-popular chicken tenders. While there are a handful of Korean fried chicken restaurants, there still isn't a large fried chicken presence.

The lack of KFC in a country as prominent as Norway is notable. The chain currently has locations in 145 countries, with more than 27,000 restaurants worldwide. For a country with a population of 5.6 million, there's clearly room to expand. New Zealand, which has a slightly lower population, has over 120 KFC restaurants, and China alone is home to 13,000 locations.

The planned transition from Fly Chicken to KFC is still early in development. No official opening date has been announced, and it is not yet known which location will become the first KFC. Fly Chicken's current locations are spread across nine cities throughout Norway, with eight located in the capital city of Oslo. While the agreements have not been finalized, the first location and opening date are expected to be announced once they are complete.

Ronny Gjøse, the co-founder and current CEO of Fly Chicken, will remain in his role during the transition and oversee KFC in Norway once the brand launches. His experience building and maintaining a fried chicken franchise in the country makes him a natural fit to lead the expansion.

Apollo Group currently operates 38 KFC locations in four European countries. Norway will become the companies fifth, joining Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The company says it plans to invest 20 million euros to establish the brand there. Apollo Group began its franchise agreement with KFC in 2019 and opened its first KFC location in Riga, Latvia.

While it seems like the companies involved see the potential for fried chicken to take off in Norway, it's interesting to note that European KFC is not the same as its American counterpart. Like other fried chicken restaurants in Norway, KFC locations in Latvia and Lithuania do not sell chicken breasts or thighs. Instead, their buckets feature wings, tenders, and drumsticks. Some customers have also noted the chicken differs from what is served in Western markets and the famous 11 herbs and spices don't taste quite the same. Whether Norwegian customers think it's truly finger lickin' good remains to be seen.