KFC sues rival over its famous ‘Original Recipe’
KFC has sued a rival fried chicken brand for using the term ‘Original Recipe’ in its advertising.
The company accused Church’s Texas Chicken of violating its trademark rights when it began using the phrase in promotions in September.
KFC has used the term for more than half a century to describe its top-secret signature blend of 11 secret herbs and spices.
The recipe is so closely guarded that KFC calls it one of the food industry’s most “iconic trade secrets” and trademarked the term in 1984.
In one court caseKFC claimed it noticed Church began using the term “abrupt” in advertisements on September 30 and ignored a letter of complaint in October.
One of the controversial church’s social media ads features an older photo of a restaurant, contrasted with a contemporary photo.
The text above reads: ‘Different decades, same church. Our original recipe is back.’
Another video promotion features a former church employee saying, “When they bring back the original recipe, you know it’s going to be good.”
KFC’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Texas, alleges that Church’s use of the phrase “is likely to cause confusion in the marketplace and dilute the ORIGINAL RECIPE® mark.”
KFC’s trademark recipe is one of the most famous in the world and has become synonymous with the brand’s products.
“On behalf of all fried chicken lovers, we take it personally when another company tries to claim our iconic flavor and brand name as their own,” a KFC spokesperson said in a statement. CNN.
“We remain committed to protecting our brand’s intellectual property and safeguarding our customers’ experience.”
Church declined to comment to the outlet due to active litigation.
The lawsuit comes as KFC faces declining sales at its restaurants in the US.
KFC’s parent company Yum! Brands said during a third-quarter earnings call last week that U.S. sales fell 5 percent — the third straight quarter of declines.
Yum! Brands CEO David Gibbs attributed this to increased competition from other fast food companies.
KFC has used the phrase “Original Recipe” for more than half a century to describe its top-secret signature chicken recipe, which it says is a blend of 11 herbs and spices.
In a lawsuit, KFC claimed it noticed Church began using the term “abrupt” in advertisements on September 30 and ignored a complaint letter in October.
“In the US, limited-time offerings fell short of expectations due to an intensified competitive environment, especially within the chicken QSR (quick-service restaurant) category,” he said.
Other leading fried chicken brands that KFC competes with include Popeyes, Raising Cane’s, Chick-fil-A and Zaxby’s.
KFC is trying new products and offers to lure customers back. Last month it started making tenders for the first time using the ‘original recipe’ it uses for its chicken-on-the-bone products.
Earlier this summer, KFC entered the value war with its $5 meal deal after seeing sales decline earlier this year.