Algeria's first KFC store chickens out and closes up shop after pro-Palestine protests

In Algeria, the first KFC store to open in the country closed two days after its opening amid a nationwide backlash against the chain food store, which is included in the pro-Palestine boycotting list.

On Sunday, 16 April, a branch of KFC opened in the Algiers suburb of Dely Ibrahim, marking the first location of the US chain in the North African country.

However, many Algerians quickly made it clear that the store was not welcome in their country, mainly due to its alleged support for Israel.

"ماتكونش لا سمح الله".. وقفة أمام مطعم "كنتاكي" في #الجزائر للدعوة لمقاطعته بسبب دعمه الاحتلال#حرب_غزة pic.twitter.com/hgwWV2JLRr

— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) April 15, 2024

With Palestinian flags and chants for "Palestinian martyrs," dozens of young protesters barricaded the storefront until it closed on Tuesday.

In January, the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement listed KFC's sister company, Pizza Hut, as an "organic boycott target" — a boycott not initiated by BDS but worthy of support due to the "brands' complicity in Israel's genocide and apartheid against Palestinians."

Pizza Hut and KFC are both owned by the American corporation Yum! Brands, which is known for its investments in Israeli startups.

Early on Wednesday, the store's famous Colonel Sanders logo was removed, hailed as a victory by the protesting boycotters.

However, later that day, the store reopened with no logo but with the same US-style greasy menu.

The New Arab contacted KFC's press department, which has not yet commented on the story.

بعد أيام من افتتاح فرعها الأول، KFC الجزائر 🇩🇿 تزيل شعار علامتها وتُغلق أبوابها!

منذ افتتاحها تعالت أصوات مقاطعتها، ووقفات احتجاجية أمامها، واستنكارٌ لمنح الترخيص لوكيلها! #الجزائر 🇩🇿

pic.twitter.com/rIaOG80xTi

— 🇩🇿 أحمد داود 🇩🇿‏ ‏ (@AhmadDaoud14) April 17, 2024

Considering the US's frequent contribution to political conflicts worldwide, this will not be the first time an American chain has closed or rebranded to avoid backlash.

Amid the Ukraine war, most American chains had to leave Russia and Kazakhstan. Their stores reopened shortly under different names but with similar menus.

Since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, regional franchises of McDonald's, one of the key boycotted brands, have distanced themselves from the parent company, arguing that they are 100% local.

The opening of a KFC branch in Algeria was notable because the North African country was traditionally opposed to Western food chains and had harsh foreign investment laws.

Unlike its neighbours, Algiers hosts no foreign food or beverage chains. It hosted a "Starbucks" store briefly but was closed after being proven to be a fraud replica that had no permit from the main company.

Officials of Western chain food companies have admitted that the Gaza war has "meaningfully impacted" their performance, leading to decreased sales and thousands of layoffs worldwide, mainly in the Global South.