The Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in the town was closed for good on Dec. 31.
Owner/operator Angus Davies said the KFC location was simply not pulling in enough business.
“Unfortunately now it is not viable to continue into the future,’’ he told The Guardian on Monday.
“The numbers just weren’t significant enough to continue.’’
Davies said he struggled in making the call to close the KFC that opened in 1975 and had been employing 16 people, consisting mostly of part-time staff.
“It was an incredibly difficult decision to make,’’ he said.
“The team members were kind of my largest concern.’’
The president and general manager of Fast Foods P.E.I. Ltd., Davies said his other five Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets in the province are doing well.
“Things are great in the other locations. No closures seen in the foreseeable future.’’
Davies wants to “revitalize’’ the location in Stratford but has not made a decision yet on what might replace the KFC.
For a number of years, he has looked into the possibility of bringing a Taco Bell fast food restaurant to P.E.I.
Taco Bell, along with Pizza Hut and KFC, all fall under Yum! Brands — a company based in Louisville, Kentucky with nearly 43,000 restaurants in 135 countries.
Davies, though, was quick to note he does not want Islanders believing a Taco Bell restaurant is imminent.
“I don’t want to raise expectations.”
