A longtime Malibu fixture is no more. Kentucky Fried Chicken has closed after 42 years of operation on Pacific Coast Highway. The oversized bucket in front is also being removed and the Colonel’s face has been scraped from the storefront window.
It appears the restaurant is undergoing a transition, now operating as Malibu Country Chicken. During a week-long closure, the restaurant has rebranded itself. New menus have been posted and apparently healthier options will be for sale, including grilled items that weren’t previously available. Although the restaurant looked a little rough around the edges during the transition, food was being served during the remodel.
With licensing fees upwards of $40-$50,000 yearly and monthly rent of at least $6,000, it could be the margins no longer made sense since franchises can set the cost of menu items. Les Wiggens, who has operated the iconic restaurant for four decades, had no comment when asked about the change.