This KFC customer called out the fried chicken joint for reducing the portions of its family meal sides. Viewers say it might be her fault.
Kentucky Fried Chicken has remained a fast food staple over the years despite competition from fellow fried chicken joint Popeyes.
Part of its staying power can be attributed to its ability to adapt to current food trends, like participating in the 2019 fried chicken sandwich war, in which more than half a dozen fast food spots competed in public opinion for the title of best chicken sandwich.
And as consumers have flocked to more affordable deals (like the 4 for $4 Wendy’s regained popularity with), especially as inflation has people eating out less, KFC launched a $5 meal deal that contains two pieces of chicken (a drum and thigh), mashed potatoes with gravy, and a biscuit, Verdict Food Service reported.
But it has also been cutting menu items that don’t sell as well (bye-bye popcorn chicken and chocolate chip cookies), and some fans have accused it of diminishing portion sizes à la shrinkflation.
Are KFC’s sides smaller?
In a viral video with more than 160,000 views, lifestyle TikToker Katee Espinoza (@kateeespinoza) ordered a family-style meal bucket from KFC, but when she pulled out the sides, she was taken aback.
“When did KFC get so stingy with their mashed potatoes with their bucket? How is this corn supposed to feed four people?” Espinoza asked.
“Kfc what lol i just want to know how this considered a large side,” she added in the caption.
One viewer pointed out an easily missed detail that cleared things up.
“Some of the family meals literally say with 4 INDIVIDUAL SIDES,” the person said.
You’d generally assume that a family meal would come with large sides, like how KFC did it for many years, but the commenter is right.
While they’re all listed under family meals, some, like the eight-piece chicken meal, specify that they come with “large sides,” and others, like the Taste of KFC 6 PC. Deal, state that you get your choice of “individual sides.”
The KFC site doesn’t specify the quantity of an individual vs. a large side. The Daily Dot deduced that the large side is about four times bigger than the individual based on the calorie information for the mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, coleslaw, and sweet corn.
@kateeespinoza Kfc what lol i just want to know how this considered a large side 😅 and before you say two equals one. I asked for mash instead if mac #kfc #kfcsucks #stingy #mashedpotatoes #viral #fyp ♬ original sound – Katee Espinoza
KFC sides ranked
If you’re now craving a KFC bucket and are unsure what sides to get, our friends over at The Daily Meal ranked them. Here they are in order of best to worst:
- Mashed potatoes and gravy (a somewhat predictable choice)
- Biscuit
- Mac and cheese
- Fries
- Coleslaw
- Sweet corn
A writer over at Cheapism starkly disagreed, instead offering:
- Fries (A sleeper hit)
- Biscuit
- Mashed potatoes and gravy
- Coleslaw (Take this one with a grain of salt. The author said they love “nasty fast-food chain coleslaw” because it brings them back to their childhood.)
- Sweet corn
- Mac and cheese
Try the sides yourself, and you decide how they rank. At least now, when you order, you’ll be sure to know if you’re getting the much smaller individual portion or the large shareable one.
Commenters react
“Bro, I can’t with KFC. It’s like $130 just for a dinner for family,” a top comment read.
“Those are single serve, not the family size,” a person pointed out.
“4 people that’s not even 4 spoonfuls,” another wrote.
“There’s a level of disrespect that’s happening when companies are increasing the price while reducing the product,” a commenter said.
The Daily Dot reached out to Espinoza for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to KFC via email.
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