Fresno’s fried chicken landscape has shifted. See what’s closed and where to go
The Fresno area has seen a wave of fried chicken restaurant closures, with multiple KFC locations and other chicken joints shutting down since 2025. But the local appetite for chicken hasn’t faded — it’s just shifting toward hot chicken chains, Korean fried chicken and even grocery store delis.
Here’s what to know about Fresno’s fried chicken migration
• KFC and Popeye’s closures mounting: Six KFC restaurants in the Fresno area have closed since 2025, including two that abruptly shut down in March in Clovis and northwest Fresno. Only five KFC locations remain in Fresno and one in Clovis. A Popeye’s Chicken at First and McKinley avenues closed last year, and locally owned Chicken Man restaurant closed in 2018 after 51 years in business.
• Hot and Korean concepts thriving: Hot chicken spots in Fresno, such as Nashville-based Red Chickz, Angry Chickz and Dave’s Hot Chicken have opened in recent years. Korean fried chicken chain bb.q Chicken is opening a second Fresno-area location near Kings Canyon Road and Clovis Avenue around the start of May after strong sales at its Clovis restaurant.
• Grocery store delis are competing too: Stores like WinCo regularly sell out of fried chicken by evening, offering chicken at lower prices than restaurants.
• KFC is struggling nationally: The chain ranked fourth in sales among national chicken brands, behind Raising Cane’s, Popeyes and Chick-fil-A. The company moved its headquarters from Kentucky to Texas in February, reportedly to save on taxes.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 12:36 PM.
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