KFC Dakar the review
I finally went to the freshly opened Kentucky Fried Chicken Dakar. I have heard about KFC opening up in Dakar for a while now and I was very pleased with it. Funnily enough I am not a big fan of KFC. Their food is tasty but I always preferred Chick-Fil-A. Nevertheless I was excited about KFC opening up because to me it meant that our country was « developing ». Growing up I always wondered why there were no international fast food chains in my country like in America or Europe or even Asia. I was told by my Dad that it was because those chains believed that Africans could not afford it. Therefore to me seeing those big chains coming over is a proof that we as Africans finally grabbed their attention at to our buying power.
But KFC Senegal is just a franchise bought by Sedima group which is a company that originally sells chicken and animal food. They started small and now they are one of the biggest company in Senegal. Why did they think about bringing KFC to Senegal I would never know but I think it is not such a bad thing.
Anyway let us dive into the review. It was not my intention to go to the KFC for at least 6 months just because I know how much Senegalese people like new things. They would go to the restaurant in masses to try it out and I do not care for masses or standing in line. Yet I went with my best friend and her sister out of a blue after shopping in the city. We were hungry so we decided to try it. Thankfully there was a lesser crowd than usual. The restaurant is located in a idyllic spot at the West Corniche of Dakar. The West corniche is a place with lots of embassy residences, the university of Dakar, some posh hotels, a mall and a walking area where people practice sport. The restaurant itself is located in a hub with other restaurants such as Eric Kayser which does mainly pastry and Xocco which is an ice cream parlor. At the first floor of the KFC joint is where you order and wait in line to receive your food. The second floor with both inside and outside seating area is where you eat. By the way the staff at the KFC is all female. We ordered our food: chicken pieces for my friend and her sister, a chicken zinger meal for me, and two colonel chicken sandwiches and Oreo Krushers to take back home to the kids. The food was kind of quick to arrive. I have to add that they were nice enough to make a meal with two chicken breasts and one leg just because my friend did not care for wings. However, there was a slight misunderstanding between the person who took our order and the one who delivered it and it did not come out right. We had to settle the matter again.
Once our food arrived we went upstairs to taste it. I really like how they decorated the space with wooden modern seats here and sofas there. The colors are not also in your face, but kind of muted. The view was undeniably beautiful. But let us talk about the food. My Zinger sandwich was just okay with enough kick to it. It resembled the ones I used to eat. However the sandwich was tiny, and kind of messy. Obviously I was not expecting the same thing as what was advertised, yet I needed more care in the preparation of it. After all we also eat with our eyes. The fries were also too thin for my taste and nothing to boast about. I also tried the chicken leg from my friend and that one was tasty enough. Her sister said that it was just fried chicken.
Overall I give the KFC Dakar a 5 out of 10, and here is why:
- I think the restaurant should be more organized. Although the security guard tried and most people lined up, it felt like a big mess. I suppose it would be better if people went upstairs to sit and someone bring them their food, or at least there is a calling system that is loud enough so that you could hear it from upstairs. The area where we order is too small to accommodate a huge crowd.
- The food is just OK, sometimes bland. We Senegalese people are used to our food being spicy. Therefore I would have liked for Sedima to introduce at least a very spicy Senegalese style chicken in their menu. I have been to many KFC around the world, and they always incorporate some aspects of the local food in their menu. Yes, there is the secret recipe from Colonel Sanders but we also should bring our own perspective. I am sure my fellow compatriots would not mind.
- The KFC has a drive thru but it has not been opened yet. However from what I saw, I do not see how they can make it work in such a tiny area.
- The pricing is too high. The entire food we ordered cost us 21500 FCFA (around 33 Euro or 36$). Yes, it is an average price for a KFC franchise. However it is slightly expensive for the average Senegalese person. For that price, I can buy a lunch plate of Senegalese food for 14 days. Considering that Sedima is using the chicken they produce, I would have thought that the pricing would be cheaper. But what do I know? Probably the franchise and the location is expensive. Truth be told the pricing is not very different from other joints around town. Southern Fried Chicken which was here first also has a spicy chicken sandwich meal for 4500 FCFA, the same as the KFC chicken zinger.
Now that my curiosity has been satisfied, I am pretty sure I would not be back to KFC, unless I take the kids to please them. It is not a spot for adults like me. The view is wonderful but it is not the kind of place I might go to relax. It is a place where kids would hang out after school or coming back from the movies. And if ever I crave fast food, "Chez Joe" which is around the corner from my house does wonderful burgers for absolutely nothing. Hopefully they will hop on the chicken sandwich wagon someday.
But KFC Senegal is just a franchise bought by Sedima group which is a company that originally sells chicken and animal food. They started small and now they are one of the biggest company in Senegal. Why did they think about bringing KFC to Senegal I would never know but I think it is not such a bad thing.
You can spot the view
Anyway let us dive into the review. It was not my intention to go to the KFC for at least 6 months just because I know how much Senegalese people like new things. They would go to the restaurant in masses to try it out and I do not care for masses or standing in line. Yet I went with my best friend and her sister out of a blue after shopping in the city. We were hungry so we decided to try it. Thankfully there was a lesser crowd than usual. The restaurant is located in a idyllic spot at the West Corniche of Dakar. The West corniche is a place with lots of embassy residences, the university of Dakar, some posh hotels, a mall and a walking area where people practice sport. The restaurant itself is located in a hub with other restaurants such as Eric Kayser which does mainly pastry and Xocco which is an ice cream parlor. At the first floor of the KFC joint is where you order and wait in line to receive your food. The second floor with both inside and outside seating area is where you eat. By the way the staff at the KFC is all female. We ordered our food: chicken pieces for my friend and her sister, a chicken zinger meal for me, and two colonel chicken sandwiches and Oreo Krushers to take back home to the kids. The food was kind of quick to arrive. I have to add that they were nice enough to make a meal with two chicken breasts and one leg just because my friend did not care for wings. However, there was a slight misunderstanding between the person who took our order and the one who delivered it and it did not come out right. We had to settle the matter again.
My friend snapping the food
Once our food arrived we went upstairs to taste it. I really like how they decorated the space with wooden modern seats here and sofas there. The colors are not also in your face, but kind of muted. The view was undeniably beautiful. But let us talk about the food. My Zinger sandwich was just okay with enough kick to it. It resembled the ones I used to eat. However the sandwich was tiny, and kind of messy. Obviously I was not expecting the same thing as what was advertised, yet I needed more care in the preparation of it. After all we also eat with our eyes. The fries were also too thin for my taste and nothing to boast about. I also tried the chicken leg from my friend and that one was tasty enough. Her sister said that it was just fried chicken.
Chicken Zinger Meal
Overall I give the KFC Dakar a 5 out of 10, and here is why:
- I think the restaurant should be more organized. Although the security guard tried and most people lined up, it felt like a big mess. I suppose it would be better if people went upstairs to sit and someone bring them their food, or at least there is a calling system that is loud enough so that you could hear it from upstairs. The area where we order is too small to accommodate a huge crowd.
- The food is just OK, sometimes bland. We Senegalese people are used to our food being spicy. Therefore I would have liked for Sedima to introduce at least a very spicy Senegalese style chicken in their menu. I have been to many KFC around the world, and they always incorporate some aspects of the local food in their menu. Yes, there is the secret recipe from Colonel Sanders but we also should bring our own perspective. I am sure my fellow compatriots would not mind.
- The KFC has a drive thru but it has not been opened yet. However from what I saw, I do not see how they can make it work in such a tiny area.
- The pricing is too high. The entire food we ordered cost us 21500 FCFA (around 33 Euro or 36$). Yes, it is an average price for a KFC franchise. However it is slightly expensive for the average Senegalese person. For that price, I can buy a lunch plate of Senegalese food for 14 days. Considering that Sedima is using the chicken they produce, I would have thought that the pricing would be cheaper. But what do I know? Probably the franchise and the location is expensive. Truth be told the pricing is not very different from other joints around town. Southern Fried Chicken which was here first also has a spicy chicken sandwich meal for 4500 FCFA, the same as the KFC chicken zinger.
Now that my curiosity has been satisfied, I am pretty sure I would not be back to KFC, unless I take the kids to please them. It is not a spot for adults like me. The view is wonderful but it is not the kind of place I might go to relax. It is a place where kids would hang out after school or coming back from the movies. And if ever I crave fast food, "Chez Joe" which is around the corner from my house does wonderful burgers for absolutely nothing. Hopefully they will hop on the chicken sandwich wagon someday.
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