Can you smell the fried chicken and lattes? A fast-food plaza featuring KFC’s return and Yellowknife’s first Starbucks is on track to open in May.
Soul Foods Group, which owns and operates the brands, is now hiring more than 100 people to work at the two outlets. About 30 percent of those jobs will be full-time salaried positions while 70 percent will be part-time.
Erin Fenwick, a spokesperson for Soul Foods Group, told Cabin Radio the company had “received overwhelming excitement from everyone we have spoken to in the area about KFC returning.”
“We know that KFC was a beloved brand in the community and that Yellowknifers have missed our finger-lickin’ good fried chicken,” Fenwick said, “so we are honoured to be opening up a brand new KFC.”
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Candidates for jobs are being screened by phone and using Microsoft Teams. In-person interviews will involve Covid-19 screening, masks and physical distancing.
Construction at the plaza on Old Airport Road has been under way for months. While there had been plans to open the franchises in the late fall of 2020, that was delayed by the pandemic.
Fenwick said the doors will instead open this spring, promising the lot has been designed to ensure drive-through traffic won’t affect what is already one of the city’s busiest streets.
The company asked candidates to email resumés, either for Starbucks or KFC. Soul Foods is also looking into delivery options for both.
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KFC was the first fast-food franchise to open in the Northwest Territories but the restaurant in Yellowknife closed its doors in 2015.
Its return to the city has been long awaited by many northerners. Researchers have even documented the cultural significance of KFC to the North.
Correction: February 3, 2021 – 9:56 MT. This article initially stated the closure of KFC in Yellowknife meant it wasn’t available in the territory. In fact, communities like Inuvik and Fort Smith have KFC Express outlets that remained in operation.
