Kenny Rogers Roasters: The $100 Million Chicken Disaster
Failed to add items
Add to cart failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Kenny Rogers Roasters: The $100 Million Chicken Disaster
-
Narrated by:
-
Written by:
In the early 1990s, the "Gambler" himself, Kenny Rogers, teamed up with former KFC executive John Y. Brown Jr. to conquer the fast-food world. With a wood-fired rotisserie promise and a massive celebrity endorsement, Kenny Rogers Roasters seemed destined to become the next household name in American dining. Yet, within just a few short years, the empire crumbled, leaving behind a trail of shuttered storefronts and legal battles. How did a concept backed by a country music legend go from a national sensation to a cautionary tale?
This documentary deconstructs the frantic expansion, the questionable management decisions, and the internal struggle to define the brand’s soul. We pull back the curtain on why the rotisserie revolution ultimately ran out of steam, exploring how even the most recognizable faces in the world can't save a business model built on shifting sands. This production is informed by an exhaustive investigation into 93+ primary documents, including internal corporate filings, contemporaneous financial reports, and exclusive news coverage from the height of the restaurant’s collapse.