This fried chicken fast food chain is Utah’s favorite

Fried chicken is the ultimate American experience, whether it’s southern fried drumsticks or Korean wings. But which fried chicken restaurants are American favorites?

Driving the news: A recent report analyzed the seven largest fried chicken restaurants in the United States, and it appears that the fast food industry has transformed Americans’ preferences.

Details: According Top data Fried Chicken Index, the ultimate fried chicken chains are:

• Chick-Fil-A, which was a favorite in 22 states.
• KFC, which was the popular option in 12 states.
• Raising Cane’s, which was favored in 9 states.
• Church’s Chicken, which was a preference for those in New York and two other states.
• Popeyes, who was just a favorite in Washington.

To note: Of all these restaurant chains, Raising Cane’s has seen the strongest growth with a 4.7% increase in visits since 2021, even though it hasn’t become a favorite in most states. Chick-Fil-A saw a 2.5% increase in visits and Church’s Chicken a 3% increase.

Meanwhile, Popeyes and KFC weren’t so lucky, dropping 5.4% and 6.8%, respectively.

Here at home: The best fried chicken restaurants in Utah are:

1. Chick-fil-A.
2. KFC.
3. at Zaxby.
4. Popeyes.

Zaxby’s was an outlier, topping the list only in Oklahoma. Surprisingly, KFC was not the favorite in Utah, even though the chain’s first franchised Kentucky Friend Chicken was opened at the Harman Cafe in Salt Lake City.