Will KFC's grilled chicken do better than its roasted chicken?

It was a glorious, sunny day. At the famously luxurious Tavern on the Green in New York, the china and silver were set and the meal was about to be served. What was on the menu? Kentucky Fried Chicken's new roasted chicken. The year was 2004, and the fried-chicken chain was unveiling a roasted version amid an outcry against its use of trans-fats. Its execs spared no expense to introduce the new innovation to the press. It was an unusual experience, because I was seated with many of KFC's top dogs and the frankly the product wasn't very good. I didn't need to spit in into my napkin or anything, but the fact was, it tasted like non-roasted chicken made to taste like roasted chicken. They weren't running around adding rotisseries to their locations (apparently they tried this in the  early '90s as well), they just formulated some sort of roast flavoring and consistency. It was not unlike airplane plane food or a microwave dinner. Needless to say, it wasn't on the menu long. That's why yesterday's announcement that KFC is now grilling chicken was so interesting. The press release called it "the biggest KFC announcement in the history of the brand." New ads from chefs G. Gavin and Sandra Lee show them raving about the grilled chicken, which comes in a two-piece meal for $3.99. The messaging invites us to "Taste the unfried side." And this time around, the unveiling was held at the Friar's Club—which, ironically, is known for its roasts. Hopefully for KFC's sake this product won't turn out to be a joke, too.

—Posted by Kenneth Hein