KFC opens new Shelburne location as town’s commercial landscape continues to grow

Written By JOSHUA DRAKES

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Shelburne has a new fast-food location at the corner of Main Street East and Dufferin Road 124.

As Shelburne continues to expand and grow, new businesses continue to make their way into the community, both local and beyond.

One of the newest businesses is Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), which hosted its official grand opening celebration on Thursday, Sept. 3. A ribbon-cutting with staff and owners officially kicked off the event.

Bernie Green, the general manager of Soul Foods Group Canada, the franchise owners of this KFC location, said they are excited to begin operations in town.

“Soul Foods and KFC, we're very excited to be operating in the Shelburne community,” he said. “We're excited with the warm reception we've had from the community. We've recruited some great people from the Shelburne community to come and work on our team.”

The location opened its doors at the nearly completed plaza at the intersection of Main Street East and Dufferin Road 124, just across the street from No Frills. The grand opening featured a newly furnished interior to welcome guests, and employees handed out coupons for discounted items to all visitors coming through the door. 

The scene was lively, with a steady stream of customers and guests coming in to see the new KFC location.

The new restaurant features the new technology that defines modern fast food. Self-serve kiosks beside the counter help customers place orders faster for easier service, though they can still order directly as always.

Green said that, despite being confident in the location's potential, the team was pleasantly surprised by the attention and excitement they saw from the community.

“We knew it would be a good site,” he said. “I don't think we were anticipating the demand that was coming from the Shelburne community for a KFC to appear here and the buzz that's been created, particularly as the local people have started working for us. It has surprised us pleasantly, and we continue to welcome them into our restaurant.”

With the grand opening now complete, KFC's arrival marks another addition to Shelburne's growing commercial landscape. With strong community interest from the outset and local residents joining the restaurant's staff, the new location is poised to quickly become part of the community it was built to serve.