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Colonel Sanders is getting a frosty reception in the Italian Alps as KFC prepares to open restaurants in two upscale ski towns, sparking backlash from those determined to preserve the mountain villages’ character and traditions.
The Kentucky-founded fast-food giant is set to reach new heights on Dec. 5, when two restaurants will open on the slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo, a southern Dolomite resort village, and Madonna di Campiglio, an Alpine town in the Trentino region of northern Italy.
The move makes KFC the first fast-food company to operate on Italian ski trails.
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The Cortina d’Ampezzo location will be inside the Faloria Mountain Club, situated at an altitude of 2,123 meters, while the outlet in Madonna di Campiglio will be in the Piana di Nambino area at an elevation of 1,700 meters, The Guardian reported.
KFC plans to open two restaurants on the ski slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo, right, and Madonna di Campiglio this winter, sparking heated debate. (iStock)
Along with Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo co-hosted the 2026 Winter Olympics.
KFC has partnered with Super G, the company behind the après-ski bars at several Italian resorts, to launch the two new restaurants.
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Reactions have been largely negative.
“KFC should stay where it belongs! Not in our nature!” one person wrote on Instagram, expressing disdain that the restaurants would be within a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Cortina D’Ampezzo co-hosted the 2026 Winter Olympics along with Milan. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
“In almost the entire Alpine region, it’s now impossible to fly drones because they disturb the wildlife, and if I post my content on social media I attract inadequate and disrespectful people to the mountains,” content creator Matteo Peroni said in a YouTube video.
“Does the smell of fried chicken not disrupt the wildlife and the balance that exists in the mountains? And doesn’t a place like that bring inadequate people to the mountains?” he asked.
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, KFC said it “is proud to serve communities around the world and, wherever we operate, we work to be a respectful and responsible part of the community.”
“We recognize the importance of the traditions and culture in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Madonna di Campiglio and the region,” the statement said. “We are collaborating with local partners to deliver the experience our customers expect, while respecting the character of the location.”
KFC said it would respect local traditions and the character of the locations, the company told Fox News Digital. (Photo by Moses Robinson/Getty Images for KFC)
The KFC outlets could prove to be convenient and affordable slope-side dining options, and many restaurants on or around ski runs already use self-service lines to serve more guests quickly, according to Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera.
“This horror would weirdly improve the food situation in Madonna,” one Instagram user wrote.
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Overall, buckets of fried chicken and mashed potatoes don’t seem to be eagerly anticipated in areas known for traditional dishes like regional pastas, dumplings, meats and cheeses influenced by Germany and Austria.
“This most northern region of Italy, which is home to Cortina d’Ampezzo and Madonna di Campiglio, has sparred its way into its own existence and identity for thousands of years and in the process has taken and borrowed its cultural and culinary influences from its conquerors and its steady habits,” Colin Caplan, a food historian based in New Haven, Connecticut, told Fox News Digital.
KFC will be the first fast-food chain to open restaurants directly on Italian ski slopes. (iStock)
It’s not an impossible feat for fast-food chains to survive on the slopes. McDonald’s has operated its McSki outlet, complete with the world’s only “ski-thru” window, in Sälen, Sweden, since 1996.
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“Understanding why KFC is being rejected from these popular winter tourist destinations has everything to do with tradition and identity,” Caplan said.
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“Both towns attract people of influence who come to escape the cosmopolitan big city life. If they want to have the option of enjoying a KFC, they can visit a place that is already watered down with global commercial influence.”