FRIED chicken could be coming to Wokingham’s town centre in the form of fast-food chain KFC.
The store is recruiting staff for a branch which it says is in Elms Road – the address of the new Elms Field development. But council sources say that KFC isn’t taking a unit on the site.
KFC’s intention to open in Wokingham follows hot on the heels of our exclusive last week that Starbucks is in negotiations to open a branch next to Aldi.
They will be joined by a soft play site, an ice cream parlour and a range of independent stores and beauty salons.
The exact location of the new KFC has yet to be confirmed, and no opening date is available on the job posts.
If it is not going into Elms Field, it also won’t be going into the former Spin Nightclub, which The Wokingham Paper understands will be offices for an insurance company that is being relocated as part of the Carnival Pool redevelopment.
The fast-food restaurant, which specialises in fried chicken meals, already has numerous branches across the Thames Valley including a drive-through in Bracknell, a local store in Shinfield and a large diner in Reading’s town centre.
In 2016, we reported on a petition launched by We Need A Wokingham KFC on change.org, asking for support. However, it garnered just 55 signatures and has now closed.
The petition stated: “The people of Wokingham need a KFC, Reading and Shinfield are too far away. We have too many of the same old restaurants. We got enough people to petition to open a Nandos, we can do it for KFC. With the new regeneration of Wokingham town centre there must be space for a KFC somewhere”.
KFC are a multi-national chain that uses a secret blend of herbs and spices in its chicken batter.
Its menu includes a mixture of fried chicken pieces, burgers vegetarian and vegan options, plus side dishes such as corn-on-the-cob and baked beans.
It is famous for its bucket meals that contain chicken drumsticks and wings with fries and drinks.
The menu also features a rice box which includes chicken, rice and salad, and some ‘boneless banquets’ – chicken filets and popcorn chicken pieces, similar to nuggets.
Recently, KFC have taken the limelight with their new vegan ‘chicken’ burger which has been a hit with meat-eaters and vegans alike.
The new Wokingham store is looking for staff and has a range of positions available.
They include team leaders and cooks. The cooks are charged with “ensuring that all of our products are made to the same high standards as the Colonel did”.
There are also full- and part-time roles for customer service representatives, who will take orders, serve food and help keep the diner tidy.
Perks include a 25% staff discount on meals.
