Food & Drink
Expect More Krispy Krunchy’s in Seattle
Fast-growing hot-chicken chain plans 600-plus locations this year
By Rob Smith January 27, 2025
Krispy Krunchy Chicken operates three locations in the Seattle area. Expect many more.
The fast-growing, Atlanta-based chain — which operates out of convenience stores, truck stops, casinos and big-box retailers — plans more than 600 new stores this year after opening 605 last year. The chain competes on price, offering a $4 value meal. Its cajun chicken sandwich earned accolades as one of Convenience Store News’ 2024 Best New Products and was named a winner in CSP’s 2024 Retailer Choice Best New Products Contest.
Krispy Krunchy was also featured in several USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards and picked as one of “Eat This, Not That’s” Fastest Growing Restaurants. Yelp! ranked the brand on its Fastest Growing Brands of 2024 list because of online searches and mentions by consumers.
Seattle has become a lucrative market for hot-chicken chains. California-crispy chicken chain Starbird recently announced that it was planning 15 locations across Seattle and two in Spokane. El Pollo Loco, which specializes in Mexican-style grilled chicken, is planning four restaurants in Pierce County and South King County. Crimson Coward, Jollibee, and Raising Cane’s have also targeted the city for expansion. Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken also recently opened in Climate Pledge Arena.
Krispy Krunchy’s Seattle locations are on Martin Luther King Jr. Way; in the Beacon Hill neighborhood; and in Kirkland.
Follow Us
A Fish Toss for the Feeds
Jermaine Kearse teams up with a seasoned fishmonger for a very Seattle showdown
Crowds packed into Pike Place Market on Friday, phones held high and elbows out, to watch a fish fly. Former Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse teamed up with longtime fishmonger Sam Samson, taking turns hurling slippery fish through the air in front of cheering tourists and curious onlookers. “I’ve caught a lot of footballs in…
Sleek New Interactive Kiosks Promise to Boost Downtown Seattle
Up to 30 will be installed prior to next year’s World Cup
Downtown Seattle will soon be home to 30 interactive kiosks designed to improve the visitor experience. The touchscreens should be installed prior to the FIFA 2026 World Cup in Seattle next summer. The city will host six matches at Lumen Field in June and July next year, and more than 750,000 visitors are projected. The…
The Shark Next Door
Des Moines is the Sixgill Shark Capital of the World
Every summer, something ancient and mysterious swims up from the dark and into Puget Sound dive logs. Bluntnose sixgill sharks are deep-sea giants with fluorescent blue-green eyes. In the open ocean, they usually cruise thousands of feet below the surface. But between June and September, they rise into the shallows off Redondo Beach in Des…
Downtown PCC Returns
A smaller-format grocery store reopens July 15 at Fourth and Union
PCC Community Markets is returning to downtown Seattle with its first-ever small-format store, opening July 15 at 1320 Fourth Avenue. Called PCC Corner Market, the new 6,500-square-foot space is much smaller than the original 19,000-square-foot downtown store, which was open for two years before closing in January 2024. The new store will feature grab-and-go offerings…