The Houghton area is preparing to welcome back a new chain restaurant. Houghton previously housed a Kentucky Fried Chicken, but the location shut down 10 years ago. The new location sits in between Tadych’s Marketplace and the Evangel Community Church. The restaurant is set to open doors on Oct. 10, 2023. Along with a drive-through, KFC will be offering both dine-in and carry-out options.
The KFC has faced a rocky road to opening since the announcement of the new location. The site plan was first approved in 2021 by Houghton’s Planning Commission with the anticipation of opening in 2022. The opening had been delayed due to several lawsuits surrounding developmental issues as property ownership between the Evangel Community Church and a third party were unclear in the original purchase of the Church’s building. Once the lawsuit cleared, the restaurant began building and set their opening date for Oct. 2023.
Many MTU students are anticipating the opening. One student, Dalton Ulland, shared that, “The opening of KFC will benefit the college students with another ‘cheap’ quick food option.” With tighter budgets, students at MTU have limited options for restaurants as Houghton’s fast food scene is much smaller than the cities where the students may call home. Ulland also comments that the new KFC, “will also provide jobs for locals.” College students, high school students, and other Houghton County community members now have a fresh option to apply to work at. However, the new KFC Houghton location currently does not have an active website or webpage.
