KFC: Does the Smell Make You Eat More?

I walk past a KFC on my daily lunch time walk, no matter how hungry I am, that KFC smell or the smell of the other takeaway, does not tempt me in the least.

Funny that this one came up today.

My son just had surgery. He was craving - no not the chicken - it has been well over a year since we have been to a KFC, but he wanted the mashed potatos and gravy and some cole slaw. So my husband stopped on the way home to get that for him - and we ended up with a counter full of KFC, chicken, biscuits, and the works. The powerful smell must of had an effect on him in the store.

I am happy to say - I limited myself to 1 drumstick and a bit of the cole slaw.

Oh, the smell is divine. I've recently started a new job, and most of my co-workers eat out every day. One time, they got KFC. It took a lot of willpower not to ask for one of those biscuits.

How funny that I read this today. I was discussing this very same thing just last night. However, we were discussing the smell that a typical Burger King location produces. There was a thick noticable haze floating over the top of a local BK Lounge and we were discussing the haze and a distinct smell of hamburger that accompanied it. We wondered if BK Corp ever consider how attractive that smell is to some and how repulsive it is to others.

I think I'd have to complain to my boss if they did this at my workplace. Even though I used to occasionally eat fast food, I always had to take it out because the smell inside the "restaurants" disgusted me. Burger King pumps out a sort of grilling smell around here, and I can't stand it. I no longer eat meat, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the scent of fine homemade fried chicken or a good burger. Smells great to me even if I won't eat it! Fast food joints do not make either of these things, however. KFC chicken looks like it comes from birds with TB.

I have a friend who used to work at Ben & Jerry's, and he said they would make the waffle cones during peak foot traffic hours because the smell alone would bring people in!
It's pretty true, though. Some food places have their own distinct smell. It always weirded me out as a kid that each McDonalds smelled exactly the same.

great. now I want fried chicken for dinner.

Food smells don't tempt me anymore. Every day, I run past this donut shop 3 times. It smells fantastic, but it doesn't make me want to stop and eat donuts. Same with KFC...sure, it smells pretty yummy, but I don't think just the smell would be enough to make me eat it.

I think it makes sense that the fast food manufacturers would employ this technique since smell is one of the largest components of taste.

I have a Chinese food restaurant close by that I can smell when I'm at home, and it does make me think about getting some. I haven't though, for over a year....even though it smells good, I know how my stomach would feel after eating it! ;)

There is a massive movement in Australia right now to boycott KFC for their cruel chicken killing process. I hope a few US citizens will get on board to. It really isn't very nice.

RT

This is hilarious. I can imagine the marketing meeting at KFC right now -- a bunch of people sitting around going "We can slash our broadcast budget...all we need to do is to pump that smell into every office of America."

I've read that the Cinnabon places its store in the mall away from the food court deliberatly so that people will be able to smell the buns and be tempted to buy them. The smell doesn't blend into the strange, amalgum of scents that always hovers around the food court.

This is quite interesting. I have a friend that swears that BK does this intentionally. I hate fast food with a passion and I am never tempted by it. Then again, I can't smell so it is nice to read the comments here about how people are affected by the smells.

True. The smell is so tempting, but it doesn't stop me from avoiding the rush.

I can't believe no one quoted "So I married an Axe Murder"

The Dad: I hated the Colonel, with his wee beady eyes...and that smug look on his face. "You're gonna buy my chicken. Oh!"

Son: Dad, how can you hate the Colonel?

Dad: He puts addictive chemicals in chicken...making you crave it fortnightly, smart-ass!

Personally, KFC makes my belly hurt, and so the smell invokes an aversive reaction in me. The last time I ate it was over 4 years ago, and I got so ill... The smell kind of turns my stomach.

Cinnabon on the other hand...the only thing that keeps me away from there is knowing that a bun the size of a pea has 8 million calories!

One cinnamon roll store has a huge funnel leading from the area over the ovens to outside the door. You can't miss the intent.

The smell of KFC chicken turns my stomach, but I know I'm in the minority. The smell of the white nectarines in the stores right now, on the other hand, make my head swim...

A more sensible question would be, 'why wouldn't the smell make you want eat more?'

I don't know if I'm just weird, but the smell of grease and junk makes me want to NOT eat. But maybe that's influenced by the fact that I work in a diner that serves nothing but greasy food.I, for one, can't stand KFC or the chicken at out local butcher shop or Burger King or any of those places.

I had to check twice to make sure this wasn't a joke; Corporate America has again reached a new all-time low for greed.

Are these mail room personnel now listed as "Mail Distribution/Fried Chicken Sales"? Because I'm assuming KFC delivers the food each day to these businesses around lunch time, but then the mail room staff have to go around selling it.

KFC makes some money and the employer gets a commission. What do the workers get out of this? Another right lost, the right to not be solicited with junk food by your co-workers, who are basically now also contractors with another company.

I'm not sure how it affects other people, but for me, the smell doesn't make me want to eat more.

KFC = Food Poisoning.

'Nuff said.

Hahahahahaha, ch'yeah right. That's bull. I don't rekon KFC has some weird voodoo smelling chicken to make us buy it. But I do think KFC is making some weird voodoo chicken. They've "mysteriously turned into" rats once >.

I'm with Amy. KFC does crazy things to my digestive system. It's amazing how cutting out fast food entirely "cures" IBS.