• KFC's newest Colonel Sanders is Jason Alexander, the actor and comedian. 
• Alexander, best known for playing George Costanza on Seinfeld, is the latest of a long list of celebrities — including Billy Zane, Darrell Hammond, and Reba McEntire — to star in KFC commercials as Colonel Sanders. 
• Alexander will help promote the chain's $20 Fill Ups, KFC's bucket-centric takeout bundle intended to feed a group.

KFC has a new Colonel Sanders. 

The fried-chicken chain announced on Monday that the newest celebrity Colonel is Jason Alexander, the actor and comedian best known for playing George Costanza on the television show "Seinfeld."

Alexander will help promote the chain's $20 Fill Ups, KFC's bucket-centric takeout bundle intended to feed a group. KFC is now offering four varieties of the $20 Fill Up, with buckets of original recipe chicken, extra crispy chicken, crispy tenders, or filet. 

"With four chicken meals to choose from and each at only $20, we are continuing KFC's tradition of providing an easy dinnertime solution for families at a great value — and there's no better person to spread the word about our new 'family of four' in a sitcom setting than comedy extraordinaire Jason Alexander!" Andrea Zahumensky, KFC's US CMO, said in a statement. 

KFC has cast a wide range of stars to play Colonel Sanders in recent years, including Billy Zane, Darrell Hammond, and Reba McEntire, who served as the chain's first female Colonel earlier this year. 

The chain debuted its Colonel Sanders-centric marketing campaign in 2015.

Despite initial backlash, the campaign has sparked somewhat of a turnaround at KFC, which has seen moderate sales growth over the last three years in the US. Last week, KFC reported that US same-store sales were flat in the most recent quarter. 

Here's the first KFC ad starring Jason Alexander as Colonel Sanders: 

SEE ALSO: KFC is debuting a bizarre, pickle-flavored fried chicken. Here's the verdict.

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• "Game of Thrones" actor and Icelandic strongman Hafþór Júlíus "Thor" Björnsson is KFC's newest Colonel Sanders.
• Björnsson stars as Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane on HBO's hit series.
• Now he's advertising KFC's Double Crispy Colonel Sandwich in a new commercial.
• The ad is a play on Björnsson's accomplishments in strongman competitions.
• The fake sports segment shows him as a Colonel who has to pull a giant box of chicken sandwiches to break a world record.
• In real life, Björnsson was just crowned as the literal strongest man in the world.
• Watch the new KFC commercial below to seeBjörnsson as the Colonel:

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• Authorities say they found a drug smuggling tunnel leading to Mexico in the kitchen of a former KFC.
• The tunnel is reportedly 8 inches in diameter, 22 feet deep, and about 600 feet long.
• Officers believe that people were using a rope to transport the drugs back and forth, according to reports.
• The tunnel was discovered after a drug bust in which officers say they found 168 kilograms of narcotics in a man's car.
• The tunnel is currently being investigated. 

 
Authorities in San Luis, Arizona, say they found a drug tunnel that leads to a home in Mexico in the kitchen of a former Kentucky Fried Chicken, KCBD reports. 

The nearly 600-foot-long tunnel was discovered after an August 13 drug bust, according to the outlet. During a police traffic stop, 168 kilograms — or 360 pounds —of narcotics were found inside toolboxes in a car being driven by a man named Ivan Lopez, KYMA reported. 

In the car, authorities say they found 118 kilograms of methamphetamine, 6 grams of cocaine, 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 13 kilograms of white heroin and 6 kilograms of brown heroin, per KYMA.

 Lopez, who owns the building that housed the former KFC, was allegedly seen removing the toolboxes from the former restaurant earlier that day, a Homeland Security agent said, according to KYMA.

After discovering the narcotics, agents executed a search warrant on both Lopez's home and the former KFC, both outlets reported. They found the tunnel in the kitchen of the restaurant. 

The alleged smuggling tunnel runs from the kitchen of the former KFC to a home in Mexico, where it opens into a trap door underneath a bed, according to KCBD. The tunnel is 8 inches in diameter, 22 feet deep, and about 600 feet long. Agents believe that a rope was used to transport the drugs back and forth. 

The tunnel is currently being investigated. 

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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• KFC is developing a new value strategy that includes deals beyond its fill-ups and buckets, the chain's chief marketing officer, Andrea Zahumensky, told Business Insider.
• Customers "are more pinched than ever, so we want to provide solutions for them," Zahumensky said.
• Fast-food chains are slashing prices in an attempt to win over customers who refuse to — or can't afford to — pay more for their meals.

KFC, known for its fill-up and bucket deals, is exploring a new approach to value as fast-food chains slash prices.

"$5 fill-ups and $20 fill-ups will continue to be an important part of our brand and an important part of our strategy, but we're also looking at new tools to bring to the market ... in 2019," KFC's US chief marketing officer, Andrea Zahumensky, told Business Insider.

For example, Zahumensky said, the chain is testing a two-for-$3 Chicken Littles sandwich deal in Nashville, Tennessee, a lower price point than the $5 fill-up.

"It's really in response to watching our customers' needs," Zahumensky said. "They are more pinched than ever, so we want to provide solutions for them so they can come to KFC and really feel satisfied."

When KFC launched the $5 and $20 fill-up meals in 2015, they served as an instant sales boost. But, three years later, KFC is looking for a new sales driver. With gas prices nearing a four-year high and the cost of healthcare rising, Zahumensky says, many KFC customers have less discretionary income than they enjoyed in recent years.

"We stay very close to our customers and make sure we really understand their reality, what they're going through right now," Zahumensky said.

KFC isn't alone in reconsidering its value strategy and slashing prices whenever possible. In 2018, Wendy's expanded its 4-for-$4 bundle deal, Taco Bell doubled down on its $1 menu, and McDonald's debuted its new $1 $2 $3 menu.

Zahumensky attributes the industry's many deals to a desire to appeal to an increasingly squeezed customer base.

While the median US income is on the rise, top earners' income growth is significantly outpacing earnings increases for lower-income households. In 2017, the top 5% of households saw average incomes rise to 8.7% higher than prerecession levels. Among the bottom fifth of the population, average incomes still grew but remained 2.7% below prerecession figures.

A UBS Evidence Lab survey shared with investors in March found that customers said "good value" was the top reason they would visit a fast-food chain more often.

According to the survey, the emphasis on value is one of necessity. Having "less free spending money lately" and chains being "too expensive" were the top two factors that customers cited for eating at a particular chain less often.

Part of KFC's plan for value in 2019 involves looking at different price points, though Zahumensky says the chain will avoid "random" bundles of menu items. KFC also isn't planning to offer a dollar menu, the weapon of choice for chains including McDonald's and Taco Bell.

The price of chicken — which KFC fries in locations' kitchens at a greater expense than preparing elsewhere would cost — limits the chain from pushing out $1 menu items.

While it could, theoretically, serve something like a single chicken wing for a dollar, to do so would be antithetical to KFC's emphasis on its deals being satisfying meals, something Zahumensky says sets the chain apart from its rivals.

"We really try and stay true to doing things the hard way — which also means that, sometimes we can't have the quality that we expect at a dollar," Zahumensky said.

SEE ALSO: 'Please stand with us': LaCroix slams 'misleading' lawsuit that links the sparkling water to insecticides

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• KFC promoted a series of tweets criticizing its fries.
• One tweet, written by Londoner Charlie Burness, called the fries "crap."
• KFC is promoting its relaunched fries, which are thicker and chunkier.

Four years ago, 30-year-old Charlie Burness decided to skip London's fancy restaurants and head to KFC for a relaxed dinner with her mother.

However, one aspect of their supper disappointed: the fries. So, naturally, Burness headed to Twitter to vent her frustration with the fried-chicken chain.

"I've got to say, KFC are riding solely on their chicken because Christ, those are crap fries," she wrote.

Now, KFC has revealed that Burness' dig helped prompt the chain to relaunch its fries across the UK.

The chicken-lover's tweet was one of three promoted by KFC both on Twitter and in ads seen across British high streets.

"Dear KFC, no one likes your fries. Yours sincerely, the entire world," Upgrade Music wrote in February of this year.

"How can KFC be so good at chicken and so bad at fries?" Adam Marsh asked in 2016.

While people were initially perplexed by KFC highlighting the old tweets, it soon became clear that the fried-chicken chain was about to launch a new fry recipe.

The new KFC fries are thicker, chunkier, and have the skin on, leading some people to compare them to Five Guys' famously popular fries.

The company hopes the fries, which will launch in KFC's UK branches on November 19, will be better for dipping, as well as more delicious.

It wasn't until KFC got in touch with Burness last month, asking if she'd allow the brand to pay Twitter to promote her tweet, that she realized her missive was part of something bigger.

"I thought it was quite clever, actually," Burness told the BBC. "I knew it would grab attention because of the reputation their chips have.

"To be honest, I think everyone knows KFC's chips are just not the best, really.

"Everyone knows they've got a reputation for not delivering on the fries. They're kind of soggy, like they've been reheated as soon as you get them."

Read more: KFC's secret ingredient is 'the most underappreciated spice' in the world

The "Ain't No Small Fry" campaign was created by advertising agency Mother, which is the same team behind KFC's "FCK" campaign, launched after it experienced an unexpected chicken shortage.

Jack Hinchliffe, innovation director for KFC's UK and Ireland branches, told the BBC, "We don't change things on a whim — the colonel's 'Original Recipe' chicken hasn't changed since he finalized it in 1940.

"This was different, though. We heard the nation's outcry. We read the brutal tweets. We had to step up our fries game. Thicker, chunkier, tastier. Job done."

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NOW WATCH: Colonel Sanders’ nephew revealed the family’s secret recipe — here’s how to make KFC’s ‘original' fried chicken

• On November 12, KFC added three new meals made with chicken and waffles to its menu.
• The available options are chicken tenders, fried chicken, and a sandwich with Belgian Liège-style waffle buns, along with a side of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup. 
• The fried chicken and chicken tenders remain the same as the fast-food's other chicken menu items, but the Liège-style waffles are sweeter and doughier than expected.
• My favorite was the chicken and waffle sandwich, which had just the right balance of spicy and sweet for my taste.

While pairing fried chicken and waffles together predates Colonel Sanders, it isn't until this year that KFC finally decided to try its hand at the iconic dish.

After a trial at locations in Charlotte, North Carolina, this past summer, KFC started serving chicken and waffles nationwide from November 12 and will offer the dishes through December 31. 

Meal options include waffles topped either with KFC's "Extra Crispy" fried chicken or "Extra Crispy" chicken tenders, and a chicken and waffle sandwich consisting of KFC's new "Hot Honey" fried chicken breast between two waffle buns. All three come with a side of Mrs. Butterworth maple-flavored syrup.

Available in three different varieties, INSIDER tried KFC's new menu additions to see how they compare.

The chicken tasted like any other KFC chicken, but the waffles made all the difference 

For all three menu options, KFC used Belgian Liège-style waffles that are known to be dense and richer than Brussels waffles, the light and rectangular variety most popularly used in American cooking.

Speaking to INSIDER, KFC's head chef Bob Das said the fast-food restaurant wanted to create a "new spin on a classic dish" while still maintaining the fundamentals of what makes chicken and waffles such a classic pairing.

Das added that the company went through 15 different waffle variations before settling on the Liège-style waffle. He went on to say that the waffle is "sweeter and doughier than American style waffles," but that it combines seamlessly with KFC's fried chicken.

KFC's chicken and waffle sandwich took me by surprise and ended up being my favorite

As a self-professed lover of chicken and waffles, KFC entering the market was welcome news to me. Though they're fast food and not home-cooked, the dishes are still rich and a satisfying.

KFC's use of the Liège-style waffle lent itself especially well to the sandwich, in my opinion. The waffles' density coupled with their sweetness complemented the chicken's sweet and hot flavoring. I thought the sandwich's flavor is unlike anything else on KFC's menu.

The other chicken and waffle meals paled in comparison to the sandwich

One mark against the release is that KFC lost some of its creativity with the two other dishes. In the plated chicken and waffle meals, the only new components were the addition of the waffles and syrup; the chicken remained unchanged from what KFC already offers.

Read more: We tried fried chicken from 4 fast food chains — and the winner was clear

I've eaten KFC's fried chicken and chicken tenders before, so there weren't any surprises there. While the sandwich took some liberties with its honey flavoring, I was a bit bored eating the plated dishes and it didn't feel like I was really getting anything new.

That being said, I thought the waffles still paired well with KFC's chicken and made for a no-nonsense eating experience, as chicken and waffles always should.

You can try the new chicken and waffle dishes at KFC restaurants in the US until December 31. 

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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• As scale becomes increasingly important in the restaurant business, food companies are going on an acquisition spree.
• Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, is "always looking" for acquisition targets, though the bar remains very high, according to president and chief financial officer David Gibbs.
• "It would have to be a brand … that fits in with our growth drivers, that could be a big developer, that has a distinctive, relevant brand, that could grow same-store sales growth in the long term," Gibbs told Business Insider.

The restaurant industry is increasingly becoming the land of the megabrands.

There is JAB Holding, which owns chains including Krispy Kreme, Caribou Coffee, and Panera Bread. Restaurant Brands International has Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes. Inspire Brands is less than a year old and already owns Arby's, Sonic, and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Many of these conglomerates have beefed up their portfolios in recent months, with deals such as Inspire buying Sonic and Krispy Kreme acquiring Insomnia Cookies.

Read more:Arby's parent company is acquiring Sonic. Here's how the CEO says he picks which brands to buy.

Then you have Yum Brands. The company has owned its three major chains — KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell — since the company was spun off from PepsiCo in 1997. Between the three chains, Yum has more than 45,000 locations around the world.

"We don't need to do an acquisition to build scale. We already have scale," David Gibbs, Yum Brands' president and chief financial officer, told Business Insider following the company's investor conference on Wednesday.

Gibbs says he believes scale is becoming increasingly important in 2018. For example, the company's scale helped make possible its deal with GrubHub, in which Yum Brands purchased a $200 million stake in the delivery company.

"That's why you're seeing so many other companies go out and try to acquire new concepts just to try and build their own scale," Gibbs said.

According to Gibbs, brands seeking acquisitions are "always" presenting themselves to Yum Brands. But it takes a lot to make what he called the "distraction" of a new brand worth its while.

"It would have to be a brand … that fits in with our growth drivers, that could be a big developer, that has a distinctive, relevant brand, that could grow same-store sales growth in the long term," Gibbs said.

"If a brand fits all of our criteria — a lot of which I can't share for strategic reasons — then yes, we would go do an acquisition and be excited about it," Gibbs continued. "And we're always looking at them."

Gibbs said that people should not expect a new chain to join Yum Brands' portfolio anytime soon. Instead, the company is more likely to acquire more tech-centric companies, as with its recent acquisition of delivery company QuikOrder.

"We have a very high bar because we know the brands that we have today are incredible growth brands that we have just scratched the surface around the world in realizing their full potential," Gibbs said.

SEE ALSO: The former CEO of Arby's is building a fast-food empire

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• Taco Bell and KFC are working to roll out delivery at locations across the United States. 
• The two chains, along with fellow Yum Brands sister chain Pizza Hut, have added delivery to roughly 10,000 more locations globally over the last year. 
• "We know more about delivery than just about any company on the face of the earth," Yum Brands president David Gibbs told Business Insider at the company's investors day last week. 

Soon, people across the United States will be able to order KFC and Taco Bell to their doorstep. 

The sister chains — owned by Yum Brands, as is Pizza Hut — are doubling down on delivery. In the last 12 months, Yum Brands has added delivery to roughly 10,000 more locations across the three brands, CEO Greg Creed said last week at the company's investors day. 

"There's no doubt that the consumer wants delivery," Creed said. "There’s no doubt that they're prepared to pay for delivery. There's no doubt we see a higher check."

Read more:Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer reveals why he believes delivery is an increasingly powerful force in the restaurant industry

KFC aims to have 70% of its locations around the world deliver fried chicken, with the delivery business already thriving in areas such as the Middle East and Thailand. While executives said delivery was in its early days in the US, some American locations are already making 10% of sales off of delivery orders. And, by 2020, KFC plans to have more locations offering delivery than any single pizza chain. 

Julie Felss Masino, the president of Taco Bell North America, told investors that early indications at stores that started offering delivery in September were "incredibly positive." Taco Bell has integrated more than 4,000 locations with Grubhub. Yum Brands announced plans to acquire $200 million in Grubhub stock in February. 

'We know more about delivery than just about any company on the face of the earth'

"You'll see us take the delivery equation at KFC and Taco Bell step by step," David Gibbs, Yum Brands' president and chief financial officer, told Business Insider at Yum Brands' investors day.

Yum Brands' first step is integrating point-of-sales systems. Next comes leaning in to marketing, something Gibbs says the chain is starting to do in local markets across the US, followed by national advertising.

"There is very big potential for delivery at KFC and Taco Bell," Gibbs said. "The question is how quickly we can realize it." 

The three brands together, as well as Grubhub, give Yum both more information and wider scale than other restaurants trying to profit from the delivery business. 

"We are in a very unique position," Gibbs said. "We know more about delivery than just about any company on the face of the earth." 

"You see a lot of people getting into it," Gibbs continued. "And not everyone is making money. People struggle with the functional aspects of it — getting food to customers on time and accurately. We've been learning those lessons for more than two decades in the United States and around the world." 

SEE ALSO: The company behind Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut hasn't been caught up in the restaurant industry acquisition spree — yet. Here is what the president is looking for.

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• KFC is selling a log that it says smells like fried chicken.
• The KFC 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog goes on sale on Thursday.
• The log costs $18.99 and can be purchased online.

KFC is kicking off the holiday season with a log that it says smells like fried chicken.

On Thursday, the chicken chain announced that it would debut the KFC 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog. When lit, the log will smell like the chain's fried chicken, it said.

Shoppers can buy a log for $18.99 at KFCFirelogs.com starting Thursday.

"At KFC, we have always been proud of our role in bringing loved ones together at the dinner table around a bucket of our world-famous fried chicken," Andrea Zahumensky, the chief marketing officer of KFC US, said in a statement. "Now, this winter we're bringing all the things we love — family, friends and fried chicken — together around the fire with our scented firelog."

KFC is known for its sometimes bizarre marketing ploys.

Read more:Here are 7 of the weirdest deals and ads in recent fast-food history

In 2016, the chicken chain gave away 3,000 bottles of Colonel Sanders' Extra Crispy Sunscreen, which it said also smelled like fried chicken. The lotion quickly sold out.

KFC has also cast a long list of various actors, singers, and comedians as Colonel Sanders since 2015, including Billy Zane, Darrell Hammond, and Reba McEntire, who served as the chain's first female Colonel earlier this year.

The chain's advertising strategy is rooted in mixing its history — such as the continued appearance of Colonel Sanders and the emphasis on its "11 herbs and spices"— with quirkier applications, like the scented log.

"Over the years, we've had many, many people try and emulate KFC's successes ... and no one has ever got close," Tony Lowings, KFC's incoming global CEO, said at the investor day for its parent company, Yum Brands, earlier in December. "And part of the reason for that is that our history is real."

SEE ALSO: KFC is testing even cheaper deals as customers are 'more pinched than ever'

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• KFC fried chicken has become a Christmas tradition in Japan. 
• Takeshi Okawara, who helped launch KFC in Japan in the early 1970s, played a major role in creating the tradition, casting Colonel Sanders as a pseudo-Santa Claus figure. 
• Okawara even says he lied to the media, claiming that fried chicken was a Western Christmas tradition — a claim he says he still regrets today. 
• To hear the full story of how fried chicken became a Japanese Christmas tradition, subscribe to Business Insider's podcast "Household Name." 

The Japanese tradition of eating fried chicken on Christmas may be built on a lie. 

The first KFC opened in Japan in 1970. The store manager, Takeshi Okawara, struggled to drive sales. Customers didn't know what to make of the red-and-white striped roof and the English signs, unsure if the store was selling candy or cutting hair. Okawara told Business Insider's podcast "Household Name" that at times, he had so little money he slept on flour bags in the back of the store. 

Christmas was not a major event in Japan at the time, where less than 2% of the population is Christian. However, a nun who worked at a nearby school asked if Okawara would get involved in a Christmas party if it served KFC's fried chicken. Okawara agreed, telling "Household Name" he even dressed up as Santa Claus himself, dancing around the classroom with a bucket of fried chicken. 

The party was a success, and soon another kindergarten class asked for a KFC-themed Christmas party. Okawara decided to take the idea and run with it, putting Santa costumes on Colonel Sanders statues outside of KFC stores and marketing fried chicken as a replacement to the American turkey Christmas dinner.

News of KFC's Christmas spirit spreed. Soon, national broadcaster NHK asked Okawara if fried chicken was actually a common Western Christmas tradition. 

This is when, according to Okawara, he lied. 

"I ... know that the people are not eating chicken, they are eating turkey," Okawara said. "But I said yes. It was [a] lie." 

"I still regret that. But people ... like it." 

KFC Japan says that Okawara's story isn't quite accurate. According to parent company Yum Brands, a visiting foreigner suggested that KFC start selling chicken on Christmas instead of the traditional turkey.

Whatever the origin, Okawara's decision to link KFC and Christmas took the chain from near failure to massive success, as well as resulting in the creation of a new winter tradition. KFC's Christmas marketing went national in 1974, and Okawara went on to run KFC Japan. 

KFC's sales continue to skyrocket around Christmas. Locations across the country dress Colonel Sanders statues up in Santa Claus gear for the holiday season. Even other chains that sell chicken now push Christmas deals in Japan, as shoppers hunt down holiday buckets of chicken.

Today, Okawara's alleged lie has created such a phenomenon that people wait in line for hours and reserve buckets of chicken weeks in advance— all to carry on the tradition of a fried chicken-filled Christmas.  

Listen to the full story on "Household Name." 

SEE ALSO: KFC is now selling a log that smells like fried chicken

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• KFC is the most popular fast-food chain in China — it made nearly $5 billion in 2017.
• One of the first American fast-food chains to open in China, KFC quickly established dominance over China's emerging fast-food market.
• KFC appeals to Chinese consumers by adapting its menu to local tastes. It offers everything from congee (rice porridge) to egg tarts.
• While Americans may associate KFC with being cheap fast-food, in China the brand is perceived as high quality. 

Narrator: KFC is one of China's favorite fast food chains. In 2017, KFC generated almost $5 billion in revenue in China. With 5,200 locations, China is home to the most KFCs in the world. In comparison, McDonald's only has around 2,500 locations.

KFC was the first American fast-food chain to open there. Before 1987, China was pretty much closed off to the rest of the world. But once China opened its doors, and its economy, KFC quickly jumped at the chance to expand. KFC's first Chinese location was strategically placed near the Great Wall. Choosing a tourist-heavy area allowed KFC to tap into an existing consumer base, while also reaching locals.

According to former KFC executive Warren Liu, KFC also had a natural advantage because many Chinese consumers prefer chicken over other meats like beef. For many, KFC was the first Western-style food they had access to. As a result, KFC's reputation in China was quite different than in the U.S.

Kara: KFC in China is more of a treat than, you know, a rest stop, basically.

Narrator: This is Kara Chin, one of our producers. She lived abroad in China from 2005 to 2013.

Kara: In China, fast-food is perceived more as a luxury, I would say, than a cheap, on-the-go food, as it is here.

Narrator: While Americans may associate KFC with cheap fast-food, in China it's seen as something a bit more upscale, even high quality. When KFC first began expanding into China, Western companies, especially American ones, were perceived as being prestigious and trustworthy. As a result of its novelty, as well as less-than-stellar opinions of Chinese made goods at the time, foreign products became status symbols in China, and many still are. However, the key ingredient to KFC's success is how they adapted their menu.

Kara: It keeps what we know here in America, except the biscuit, and then it offers variations of that. They take into account what are the flavors that Chinese consumers want, and how can we incorporate it? So is it offering a new menu item? Is it offering a cup of corn instead of French fries for the kids meals? They don't change the whole menu entirely. It just has different offerings that appeal more to Chinese consumers.

Narrator: KFC's Chinese menu includes everything from egg tarts, to rice porridge, to sushirritos as a breakfast special. Our producer Shirley Cheng got to try KFC in China on a recent trip there.

Shirley: To my knowledge, KFC is the most popular fast-food chain in China. It's exactly like KFC in the U.S., but also with a Chinese flair. It has the familiarity of the original recipe with the drumsticks, that I think all Americans know, but also caters to local dishes of congee and egg tarts that people in China are familiar with. The egg tart from KFC was so good, I ate four.

Narrator: KFC also comes out with new products faster to continue tailoring to local taste, and to promote sales KFC often collaborates with popular celebrities, music groups, and brands. But with more and more domestic fast food options opening up, along with international chains increasing their presence in China.

Kara: KFC doesn't quite dominate the market like it once did. I'm not sure if KFC will continue to be this popular in China. So, it was really obvious when I lived in China that KFC really dominated the market because other places weren't there yet. So McDonald's was kind of there but not really, and they were just opening places and this was the early 2000s, but at this point, I think it's pretty comparable as far as there's a KFC and there's a McDonald's on the corner. So it's not like KFC has that edge anymore of, "We were here first."

Narrator: While KFC no longer has a monopoly on China's massive fast food market, it's still ahead of other chains like McDonald's and Burger King, and KFC continues to strategize ways to increase sales in China. In 2017 KFC opened K Pro, a healthy concept restaurant. Instead of fried chicken, the K Pro menu features salads, paninis, and juices. So although competition is increasing and the food culture is rapidly evolving in China, KFC is doing what it does best: adapting.

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• KFC has launched a candle that both smells and looks like gravy.
• There are 230 of the limited edition candles up for grabs, available on a first come, first served basis.
• They're only on offer in the UK, though.

Gravy is one of life's greatest condiments. You can lather it on your Sunday roast, your bangers and mash, and even fried chicken.

Fried chicken chain KFC is known for its tasty gravy, and now you can fill your home with the meaty scent as KFC has launched a new gravy-scented candle.

There are just 230 limited editions of the artisanal candle up for grabs, and they will be available on a first come, first served basis. To get your own candle, simply visit kfc.co.uk/gravycandle for a chance to win.

To accompany the mouthwatering gravy scents, KFC has also unveiled its new KFChill experience which allows users to listen to the sounds of their KFC Gravy Mega Box — choosing between the sounds of frying chicken, falling fries, or simmering gravy.

While this unique meditative experience may lead you to order KFC on your Deliveroo app rather than helping you find your inner zen, it will certainly be a delicious way to entice your senses.

Read more: A woman tweeted at KFC 4 years ago complaining about its bad fries, and the brand just responded in the best way

This isn't the first time KFC has released a scented candle. In 2016, it released a fried chicken-scented candle in New Zealand, but just 25 were made. Then, in 2017, KFC Japan released a fried chicken-scented bath bomb for people to bathe in the scent of its 11 herbs and spices.

Now it's the UK's turn to get its hands on a KFC goodie — just remember not to drink the candle wax, however tempting it may be.

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• Kentucky Fried Chicken on Tuesday began testing a limited-edition chicken sandwich loaded with Cheetos.
• The Cheetos Sandwich is dressed with a special Cheetos sauce and a layer of the crunchy chip.
• So far the chain is offering it only at locations in select cities in North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia.

If you haven't already broken your New Year's resolution to eat healthier, the new Cheetos Sandwich from Kentucky Fried Chicken may just tempt you to do so.

On Tuesday, fast-food giant KFC announced its newest limited-edition sandwich, and it's a match made in junk-food heaven. The restaurant behind the Double Down is teaming up with snack-chip king Cheetos for an unbelievable dish.

The Cheetos Sandwich is loaded with crunch. There's a hand-breaded, extra crispy chicken fillet that's coated with special Cheetos sauce and placed on a toasted bun loaded with mayonnaise and a layer of crunchy Cheetos.

The sandwich is being tested in certain KFC locations

"Both KFC and Cheetos have dedicated fanbases loyal to each new creation," a KFC representative said in a statement. "It only made sense to merge these two iconic brands together to provide an irresistible and flavorful sandwich that gives the best of both worlds."

According to the KFC spokesperson, the sandwich delivers a 'blast of craveable Cheetos in every bite'

The sandwich is still in launch mode, so it's not for sale at every KFC. Right now, you can find it only in Greensboro, North Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; Roanoke, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; and Greenville, Georgia KFC locations.

But although it's a limited offering, if this sandwich receives as much attention as last year's Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles, a nationwide rollout could be in its future. Bon appetit!

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• Domino's Japan offers pies you've never dreamed of, including a lasagna pizza.
• McDonald's McCafe sells macarons and elegant little desserts.
• Wendy's in Japan serves pasta and soup in bread bowls.
• KFC Japan biscuits look like donuts.

While Japan has its own great fast-food options, American travelers may also come across US fast-food brands like Domino's, McDonald's, Wendy's, and more. But the menus may look different to a US tourist.

Not everything served at fast-food restaurants in Japan is as unique as those Burger King burgers with black buns, but there's definitely a wide variety of things you probably won't see anywhere else.

Check out some of the best fast-food options from American brands below.

The McDonald's Filet-O-Shrimp is a must-try.

The patty consists of big, plump shrimp surrounded by crispy, deep-fried breading.

If you love teriyaki sauce on everything, try a Teriyaki McBurger or Chicken Teriyaki Filet at McDonald's.

The Teriyaki McBurger features a pork patty smothered in sauce — and the Chicken Teriyaki Filet features a crispy fried chicken filet treated the same way.

This Gran Garlic Pepper burger would be a hit anywhere, but you can only get it at McDonald's locations in Japan.

Local tastes can be different everywhere, but the Gran Garlic Pepper burger features a peppery garlic sauce that would satisfy nearly everyone.

• Burger King is directly taking on KFC with its new grilled chicken sandwich. 
• The fast-food chain has a new ad featuring the King dressed in Colonel Sanders-esque clothing as the KFG, or the King of Flame Grilling. 
• Burger King's new grilled chicken sandwich hits menus Thursday.

Burger King is taking on KFC with a new chicken sandwich and a new costume for the King. 

On Thursday, Burger King debuted a commercial in which the Burger King mascot transforms into the KFG, or the King of Flame Grilling. In the ad for its new grilled chicken sandwich, the King dresses up as Colonel Sanders and proclaims the virtues of Burger King's grilled chicken sandwich. 

"When it comes to flame grillin', a King always outranks a Colonel," the King says in a voiceover. 

Burger King's new grilled chicken sandwich hits menus on Thursday. The new permanent menu item is made with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, and sweet honey mustard, and it will cost roughly $4.99. 

Read more: Burger King baffled and infuriated people with its Super Bowl ad starring Andy Warhol

Burger King has started getting more aggressive in taking on its fast-food rivals in recent months.

In December, the chain debuted a deal that allowed customers to get Whoppers for $0.01 if they went near a McDonald's location. Burger King also rolled out the $6 King Box in late 2018, just one month after McDonald's debuted the $6 Classic Meal Deal.

Here is Burger King's full KFG ad: 

SEE ALSO: Burger King sent people to McDonald's for 1-cent Whoppers — and it was a massive success for the fast-food chain

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• Taco Bell currently sells three $5 meal boxes.
• Jack in the Box, Wendy's, and Dairy Queen all have meal deals for $5 or less.
• Carl's Jr. and KFC have several $5 meal box options.

Fast food is a convenient way to fill up when you're in a pinch. Across the country, there are thousands of major fast-food-chain restaurants that offer a variety of value meals that include a main-meal item, side, and a drink.

It's not often that you can eat a meal for just $5, but it is possible. Here are 21 $5 meals from chain restaurants that won't break the bank when hunger strikes. Just a note that some of these deals are only available for a limited time and may vary based on location. 

The Nacho Fries Box from Taco Bell includes a burrito and taco.

Taco Bell's popular Nacho Fries are back for a limited time. It seems the fast-food chain decided to create a special food box to celebrate the return of Nacho Fries. The $5 box includes a medium fountain drink, an order of seasoned Nacho Fries with Nacho Cheese Dip, a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, and a Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco.

The Double Cheesy Gordita Crunch Box from Taco Bell also includes two tacos.

Taco Bell's Double Cheesy Gordita Crunch Box is only $5. It comes loaded with one Double Cheesy Gordita Crunch, two crunchy tacos, and a medium drink.

The Chalupa Cravings Box from Taco Bell also includes dessert.

The $5 Chalupa Cravings Box from Taco Bell includes four food items and one drink. The box has a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Chalupa Supreme, Crunchy Taco, and one order of Cinnamon Twists. A medium drink is also included in the cost.

• KFC is by far the most popular fast food chain in China.
• Key to KFC's success in the country has been catering its menu to local tastes.
• I tried a number of dishes at a KFC restaurant in Beijing and found the food to be tastier and fresher than its American counterpart.

With more than 5,000 restaurants in 1,100 cities in China, KFC dominates the country's fast food landscape.

KFC was the first American fast food chain to launch in the country, opening its first China branch in 1987. It quickly became a symbol of the country's rapidly reforming economy and newfound openness to the world.

The three-story, 3,600 square-foot restaurant was KFC's largest branch — with seating for 500 people — and just a short walking distance from Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The restaurant was an instant success, with customers lining up outside the restaurant for months on end after it opened.

As of 2016, KFC still holds 11.6% of the market share in China, according to Euromonitor, far ahead of McDonald's 5.6%. McDonald's only has around 2,500 restaurants.

Key to KFC's success in the country has been its aggressive catering to Chinese tastes, with menu items that will never make their way to US restaurants. While KFCs in China serve fried chicken, they also serve a variety of local dishes like egg tarts, congee (rice porridge), and the "Dragon Twister."

While KFC, and its parent company Yum China, suffered a number of hits recent years thanks to a tainted meat scandal in 2014 and problems with avian flu in 2016, the chain has continued to push aggressively in the market. Last year, it launched KPRO, a health food-focused concept restaurant, in Hangzhou, China to test the country's growing interest in healthy eating.

I decided to give KFC a try on a recent trip to China to see what it was like.

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With over 5,000 branches, KFC is the most popular fast food chain in China. I headed to a branch in Beijing not far from Tiananmen Square.

China is littered with fast, cheap food from street vendors. When KFC first opened in China, its American-style sit-down restaurants were seen as a luxury. For many Chinese consumers, the chain guaranteed cleanliness and freshness, an image that has taken a hit in recent years.

At the time, KFC was seen as an "exciting, unique, and brand-new experience never before encountered… like taking a tour of America, with all its connotations: political, cultural, time, and space — real or imaginary."

Source: KFC in China

• When a craving for fast-food fried chicken hits, many options are available for your deep-fried desires.
• Three of the most popular options are Chick-fil-A, KFC, and Popeyes.
• We traversed the San Francisco Bay Area's fast-food scene to hit all three chains and collect some of the most popular menu items at each.
• Chick-fil-A is clearly the winner for mastering its iconic chicken staple items.
• And while KFC brought nothing noteworthy to the table, Popeyes came in at a close second for its high-quality crispy chicken.
• Take a look:

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When it comes to fried-chicken-oriented fast-food joints, you'll find similar items across every menu.

The chicken tenders, the nuggets, the chicken sandwich — these are staples at any go-to chicken spot.

But what helps brands distinguish themselves from each other is offering a unique and distinct take on these items.

• A number of fast-food restaurants have completely changed the sandwich game over the years.
• McDonald's, Subway, KFC, and others have served some eye-popping sandwiches filled with layers upon layers of meat, cheese, onion rings, and occasionally seafood.
• Arby's took its sandwiches to the next level in recent years, serving ones made with duck, elk, and venison.
• KFC teamed up with Cheetos to produce a crunchy, cheesy sandwich.
• At select locations in New England, McDonald's sometimes sells lobster rolls during the summer months.

A number of fast-food restaurants have completely changed the sandwich game over the years.

Between Cheetos, seafood garnishes, and layers upon layers of meat, we've compiled a list of some of the most over-the-top, mouthwatering sandwiches served by places like Arby's, McDonald's, Subway, and more over the years.

Check out some of the wildest fast-food sandwiches that have hit the market below.

Arby's "5 Mega Meat Stack" would satisfy even the most serious meat cravings.

This mega sandwich is made with fried chicken, bacon, ham, turkey, and beef, and comes with cheddar cheese, mayonaisse, a tomato, and lettuce.

Read more: Arby’s new 5 Meat Mega Stack is loaded with fried chicken, roast beef, bacon, ham, and turkey

KFC took a fairly nontraditional approach with its "Cheetos Sandwich."

The Cheetos Sandwich is made up of a breaded, extra crispy chicken fillet coated in a special Cheetos sauce, and sandwiched between mayonnaise, Cheetos, and two toasted buns.

KFC is still testing this sandwich, so it's only available at KFC locations in Greensboro, North Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; Roanoke, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; and Greenville, Georgia.

Subway's "Ultimate Meatball Marinara" is much more than meets the eye.

The meatballs in this sandwich are doused in a rich marinara sauce and placed between two slices of Subway's New Ultimate Cheesy Garlic Bread (bread toasted with garlic,  butter, parmesan, and melted mozzarella).

The sandwich is available across the United States and costs between $4.99 and $5.19 for a six-inch sub and $7.19 to $7.49 for a foot-long version depending on where you live.

• When a craving for fast-food fried chicken hits, a number of options are available to fulfill your deep-fried desires.
• Chick-fil-A, KFC, and Popeyes are three of the most popular chicken chains in the US.
• We traversed the San Francisco Bay Area's fast-food scene to hit all three chains and collect some of the most popular menu items at each.
• Chick-fil-A is clearly the winner for mastering its iconic chicken staple items.
• And while KFC brought nothing noteworthy to the table, Popeyes came in at a close second for its high-quality crispy chicken.
• Take a look:

The chicken tenders, the nuggets, and the chicken sandwich — these are staples at any go-to chicken spot and ones that you'll find on the menus at KFC, Popeyes, and Chick-fil-A.

But what helps brands distinguish themselves from each other is offering unique and distinct takes on these items. So we set out to see for ourselves how some of the best fast-food fried-chicken joints set themselves apart from each other.

Source: Business Insider and The Huffington Post

We sampled the most popular or best-selling menu items from each chicken chain, referencing rankings posted by the companies, other publications, and public forums.

That meant different dishes from each chain.

Source: Business Insider,  Business Insider, Quora,  Business Insider

We went with Chick-fil-A's chicken nuggets, Popeyes' spicy chicken tenders, and KFC's original fried chicken, to name a few items.