KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak Chamber of Commerce is rallying the community around the KFC/Taco Bell, after owner Debbie Rohrer announced last week that the restaurant would be closing.
The Chamber is putting out a call for letters from the community in support of KFC/Taco Bell. They’re planning to send the letters to KFC and Taco Bell’s parent corporation, Yum! Brands.
“Naturally when we heard that KFC/Taco Bell was closing their doors — and it was not by the choice of the owners — we wanted to help in any way that we could,” said Sarah Phillips, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce.
KFC/Taco Bell has long been a sponsor of many community events, including arts performances, local sports and high school activities.
“They donate so many things to so many people within this community,” she said. “So if you’ve been touched by them, we’d love to have a letter so that we can send this all the way up to the Yum! Brand[s] board of directors and maybe we can get them to listen.”
In Rohrer’s Facebook post last week, she said the restaurant would stay open for as long as it has supplies, which she expected to be about two weeks. Phillips says that means they need to act quickly on their letter-writing campaign — the deadline for submitting letters to the Chamber is this Monday, February 10.
“We’re going to try and appeal as quickly as we can so that we can get their doors back open as quickly as possible.”
The reasons for the KFC/Taco Bell’s closure remain unclear. Rohrer declined to provide any information about the cause due to “potential future legal action.” The store employs 18 people, most of whom work there part-time, according to Rohrer.
Debbie’s brother Dan opened the KFC/Taco Bell in August, 2008. It is the only Yum Brands combination store of its kind to have opened in Alaska. In an October broadcast of KMXT’s Talk of the Rock, Dan noted that they began with the “biggest grand opening” of a Yum! Brands store ever. After this store closes, Alaska’s only KFCs and Taco Bells will be in and around Anchorage and Fairbanks.
You can reach the Chamber at (907) 486-5557, or email chamberdirector@kodiak.org.
Correction: A previous version of this story reported that the only remaining KFCs and Taco Bells will be in Anchorage and Fairbanks. There are more in the surrounding cities, like Wasilla or North Pole. The story has been updated to reflect this.
