Kenny Rogers' Roasted

Hmmm, I am here to say "I never learned" again. The last three times I ate at Kenny Rogers 'here in the Philippines, I saw some disappointing things.

The first time, I ate at the Kenny Rogers' at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall in Paranaque near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. That branch seems to not have that much customers, and because maybe of their poor sales, comes the poor quality of food. I mean, I don't think that's where they can find their target market. I wonder then, how cheap maybe their rent is there. I ordered one of their "latest" products, what they call "gourmet" sandwiches. I think it was a chicken sandwich. For ~P80, it was nothing that I couldn't prepare myself at home for P20 or less. It wasn't worth it. Nothing fantastic. I would pay P20 for it somewhere else. P80 was too much. This was in early 2007.

Second time, I ate at the Kenny Rogers' at the SM Mall of Asia, just last month (January 2008). I was trying to save on money, so I got the sandwich meal again. What sandwich? Oh, and there was a seat which appeared it could collapse anytime someone sits on it. And it's just out there! Management just left it out there! Then unfortunately a kid sat on it and got hurt. Management of course wanted to wash its hands early, and they were offering to bring the kid to a clinic. Nope, they weren't offering the kid or his family any money of course; that would be such a huge expense for a restaurant in a country which cannot afford giving out a sufficient amount (one or a couple pieces extra) of tissue (paper table napkins). Man, I don't like getting hurt! Not this way!

What has happened to you, Kenny Rogers?

And I noticed this just at that Kenny Rogers' at the SM-MOA, but they have abandoned the one-line fall-in-line-in-front-of-the-food procedure and have used instead a multiple line (one per cash register) format. It takes up a lot of space! And what happens, as the case for such formats in other restaurants, is that those people coming in late sometimes get ahead of those people who have already been in line for minutes! What the hell???

And, yep, I never learned. I ate again at another Kenny Rogers in January 2008, this time at Glorietta in Makati. I made that choice, partly because well I like the ORIGINAL Kenny Rogers roasted chicken and the ORIGINAL Kenny Rogers format - you know, you pick your side dishes with the "Solo A" meal that comes with 1/4 Chicken and a muffin. Plus I ate there because I had SodexHo Gift Certificates that Kenny Rogers' accepts. Our total meal was P280, so with my P200 GC, I practically paid only P80. For what happened at that store, I thought it P80 wasn't bad. IT WAS JUST RIGHT. Now hear this.

First, it's that "new" Kenny Rogers' meal ordering format again. I think at least one person who came in after us got ahead of us. Oh well. Then there are these on-line order takers. You know, you really order at the cashier but because of the long lines (emphasis on LONG lineS), somebody takes your order even before you reach the cashier and then gives you a piece of paper which contains your paper. Fault Number One: the order taker didn't properly get what we ordered. So the cashier had to redo his thing, probably to the chagrin of his manager. Fault Number Two: the cashier didn't take our order properly after the first fault was addressed. When our ordered arrived, my friend got the "new" "Fiesta" type of chicken, which we didn't go to Kenny Rogers' for. Fault Three: The cashier didn't give us the right change! Fortunately, they still gave us the change, except that the cashier himself just delivered it to our table. It was a frustrating evening. And then my order was gone in a flash. That was something I accepted, because I eat like an American, and well, I typically order two times the regular quantity of food orders here in the Philippines.

What's going on Kenny Rogers?

I told my friend, you see as a sign of desperation when a restaurant starts serving stuff they are not known for. Kenny Rogers with SAUSAGES? And BURGER STEAK? Come on!!! I go to Kenny Rogers for the wonderful roasted chicken and the side dishes! I go to Jollibee for Chickenjoy, what Kenny Rogers calls their "Fiesta" chicken. I go to McDonald's and/or Jollibee also for their "burger steaks." Why is Kenny Rogers offering such things?

They're losing. They haven't lost yet, but it's coming to that. And while it is generally a good business decision to "diversify," to give the customers what they want, great companies focus on their core businesses. For Kenny Rogers, I don't see SAUSAGES and BURGER STEAKS and "GOURMET" SANDWICHES which are nothing but STUFFED PANDESAL as part of their core business. And while it is obviously a good business strategy to grow, I think their supply (of outlets/branches) has far outgrown the demand. That is what I think is going wrong.

What's going on with Kenny Rogers?

I want the old Kenny Rogers back!!!