KFC in the mountains.

December 1950: a mountain and a cabin.Skiers climbed the mountain on skins and ate a roll to fuel up before their descent. There was no need for a special experience concept: the experience itself was skiing on the mountain.

Nearly 50 years later, in 1995:Elton John performed at the Idalp in Ischgl. That concert gave rise to the “Top of the Mountain” concerts. That was the turning point. Other ski resorts followed suit: Schladming, for example, with stadium concerts on the Planai. Festivals to kick off the season soon became part of the tradition. Since then, the motto has been: keep going. First came oysters, then sushi, then trendy doughnuts that people wait in line for hours to get, all accompanied by DJ beats. The same mountain, just a different experience.

More than 30 years later, in December 2026: KFC is headingto the mountains.KFC plans to open two locations in the Italian mountains on December 5—one in Madonna di Campiglio and one in Cortina d’Ampezzo. The idea behind this is obvious: KFC wants to be where the guests are. But do they come to the mountain lodge because they’re looking for fast food—or because of the mountains and the special atmosphere?

Nature Park President Walter Ferrazza sums it up: “La montagna non è un fast food.”Mountains aren’t fast food. Former ski star Kristian Ghedina from Cortina agrees. Anyone who comes to Cortina wants pastin and cheese, he says: “I don’t think they’re looking for fried chicken.”

The ski lodge operators are backtracking. In Cortina, there is no standalone location—just six KFC items on the menu at the existing bar-café. In Madonna di Campiglio, too, there won’t be a standalone location: the products will be available at partner Super G. That certainly sounds like a all-clear. But it’s about as reassuring as an avalanche report that says, “There is a danger on only a few slopes.”

There is one consolation, however: resistance works. Environmentalists, Alpine clubs, and local politicians are protesting, and both operators have already backed down.

However, not everyone shares the same view: The president of the innkeepers' association is not opposed to it in principle. Restaurateur Raffaele Alajmo sees it primarily as putting pressure on traditional establishments.

As brand consultants, we see a misunderstanding here. Fast food stands for speed, uniformity, and the promise of being the same everywhere. The mountains stand for the opposite: tranquility, time to savor the moment, and authenticity that cannot be replicated. The mountain itself is the experience—it’s not merely a backdrop for a brand like KFC. Anyone who uses it solely as a backdrop for fast food risks obscuring the very thing that defines it.

Or what do you think?

Here's the link:https://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/kfc-alpen-filiale-skihuette-fast-food-kentucky-fried-chicken-li.3578116