Freebies

Oprah’s Coupon Crazies Nearly Riot in Midtown

Oprah.com commenters sure got their feathers ruffled over her botched KFC giveaway, but it turns out spending hours trying to download the coupon was just the first chapter in the harrowing ordeal. During lunch today, freebie fiends invaded a midtown KFC and engaged in a deadly game of chicken with the management.

Earlier today, a tipster reported to Gothamist from the KFC on 42nd between Madison and Park:

Despite the very visible grilled chicken behind the register, the manager told everyone with coupons to leave and that the promotion was over for the day. The people there are currently holding a sit-in and refusing to leave until they get their free chicken … or the cops are called. Racial epithets were being spewed, people who actually wanted to pay for chicken were facing a potential beatdown, and the manager ran from the screaming horde. Oprah, what have ye wrought?


Gawker has another troublesome report of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off: “A small RIOT started going on outside the store with people screaming at the manager.” And per a Midtown Lunch tipster, lunch came with a side of ugly at KFC’s 50th and Seventh Avenue location: “There was about 50 ppl crammed into a very tiny space before me … will try again much earlier on another day. The mgr said ‘while supplies last’ so I wouldn’t even attempt this location.”

Oprah had better make up for this with another giveaway — and this time, make it Popeye’s.

KFC’s Refusal to Give Away Grilled Chicken Sparks Sit-In? [Gothamist]
Sit-In/Riot Ensues After Midtown KFC Stops Accepting Free Food Coupons [Midtown Lunch]
Oprah KFC Coupon Riot! [Breaking] [Gawker]

Oprah’s Coupon Crazies Nearly Riot in Midtown