X

KFC franchise drive-through open in Potsdam

Posted 12/28/18

By CRAIG FREILICH NorthCountryNow.com POTSDAM – A new Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise has opened at 119 Maple St. on time but a little sooner than the developer would have liked. Bruce Monette, …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

KFC franchise drive-through open in Potsdam

Posted

By CRAIG FREILICH

NorthCountryNow.com

POTSDAM – A new Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise has opened at 119 Maple St. on time but a little sooner than the developer would have liked.

Bruce Monette, Jr., president of Adirondack Energy in Malone and developer and operator of Mountain Mart convenience stores around the North Country, predicted in June the market, with Kentucky Fried Chicken and Dunkin’ Donuts franchises, would be open before the end of the year. In fact that was his agreement with KFC.

But it has been a race to get the chicken business up and running in time, and Monette said he opened the drive-up window without fanfare so workers could get all of the businesses there, including the coffee shop, gas pumps, and convenience store, in smooth operation before they were inundated.

He said he had not made any announcement of the softer-than-soft opening, “for obvious reasons.”

But by mid-week the word was out, and KFC fans had lined up for the popular meals with the end of the queue of cars reaching out into Maple Street across from Clarkson University.

It might remind people of the frenzy around the opening of the Five Guys restaurant on Market Street in September, which caused traffic problems there.

“We had some contractual obligations to meet with KFC in particular,” Monette said. “Their fiscal year end was Monday, December 24. Therefore we had to work nights, weekends etc. to meet that threshold. So, you can get your chicken today, but you have to do so in your car. We only have the drive thru option available currently.”

Right now, “the plan is to open the pumps, and the convenience store as well as the Dunkin Donuts and both dining rooms Monday January 7th; but there a lot of moving parts and pieces with this current scenario.

“It is a moving target. We are now at the mercy of vendors, delivery schedules and such, and have had to adapt to a changing time table on a daily basis,” he said.

“I can tell you that our opening will be a soft one until we work out the kinks and we will plan on having a Grand Opening later in 2019.”

There are other Mountain Mart stores in Canton and Massena in St. Lawrence County and more in Franklin and Clinton counties.

In addition, the Monette family owns and run Titus Mountain ski area, which they purchased six years ago.