Scandals

A Fake KFC in Iran Was Shut Down After One Day Because It Seemed Too Real

Not cool.
Not cool. Photo: KFC Halal

After drawing big crowds for its colonel-branded buckets of fried chicken, KFC Halal in Tehran, Iran, was shut down by police just one day into service. Authorities clamped down on the restaurant because they believed it to be an actual KFC, but, like the Mash Donald’s across town, KFC Halal is not actually the real deal — but manager Abbas Pazuki tells Iran’s Tasnim News Agency it’s actually a branch of a Turkish brand called Halal KFC, which he describes as a rival to the American chain rather than, you know, a knockoff.

According to BBC reporter Kasra Naji, state media reported the opening as a “first sign of creeping US influence,” and that’s not something hardliners are down with. In any case, the head of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Ali Fazli, says this KFC is definitely, absolutely not associated with the American company, because Western brands are not allowed to even be in Tehran.

[Mashable, BBC]

A Fake KFC in Iran Was Shut Down After One Day Because It Seemed Too Real