Thousands opposed it, but now Kentucky Fried Chicken is here and ruffling more than feathers in south Liverpool
16:48, 28 Mar 2026Updated 18:28, 28 Mar 2026
Cllr Richard Kemp is one of many to raise concerns about the impact of the new KFC on Allerton Road
Allerton Road is probably Liverpool’s best example of a thriving community high street and community centre, bringing together traditional shops, essential services and a growing glut of popular bars and restaurants.
To walk down Allerton Road in 2026 is to experience a bustling suburbia. Locals can pick up fresh fruit and veg, purchase high end wines or peruse a range of gifts before settling in for a decent lunch or a pint. This is an atmosphere cultivated over many years and people in this area are proud of what they have created – and worried about what they now see as an existential threat.
That threat arrived earlier this year, coated in heady blend of 11 herbs and spices.
It was last summer when the world-famous fast food fried chicken giant KFC revealed its intention to open a branch in the former Barclays Bank building that lies on Allerton Road’s junction with Garthdale Road. It didn’t take long for the plans to make Colonel Sanders public enemy number one in this leafy corner of south Liverpool.
In total a whopping 2,500 local residents signed a petition against the plans in a campaign led by local councillor Richard Kemp. Cllr Kemp is a no stranger to taking on US conglomerates. He famously called for the Coca-Cola truck to be banned from Liverpool ahead of Christmas 2017 and was – perhaps harshly – mocked up by this newspaper to resemble Ebenezer Scrooge.
Locals warned the venue would become a magnet for anti-social behaviour, litter and careless delivery cyclists. Some went a little further, with predictions of societal breakdown and a warning the chicken consumed could be a gateway to a life of underaged drinking and drug abuse for the area’s young people.
But despite the vociferous opposition, Liverpool’s planning committee approved the application for the new ‘restaurant’ (a contentious description) and it officially opened at the end of January.
Cllr Richard Kemp is one of many to raise concerns about the impact of KFC in Allerton Road
Now while some could accuse the Allerton Road faithful of engaging in a touch of middle-class moral panic over the arrival of a food takeaway business in their locale – it didn’t take long for some of them to see their fears become entirely justified.
KFC quickly became a focal point for large groups of youths to hang around. Some of this was entirely innocent as pupils from nearby schools grabbed a wicked zinger meal on the way home – but some of it was more sinister.
Fire extinguishers have been set off in nearby shops and pubs, chairs have been thrown and stones have been chucked. Local businesses said the situation has – at times – become seriously intimidating, leading Merseyside Police to put a dispersal order in place along the affluent street last weekend.
Gareth and Vicky Morgan only launched their Dead Crafty Beer Club bar on Allerton Road in December – the sister venue of their popular Dale Street site – but have seen a worrying increase in aggressive behaviour in the area.
“People have told us the kids have been throwing chairs around in KFC, going into nearby shops and filling up bags of stuff and walking out, flooding toilets – it’s absolutely feral,” explains Vicky.
“It just feels like the kids have no consequences any more, they have no respect. We have seen them stood on the roof of the gym throwing bricks at people.”
The couple describe a particularly worrying scene where they witnessed a couple in their 60s being chased in front of their bar by dozens of youths on bikes, simply because the man urged them to stop vandalising a nearby bus stop.
“People are scared to walk down the road,” adds Vicky. “These kids were here before KFC, but there are more of them now. “
Across the road, Ste Williams, manager of R&H Fine Wines worries things could escalate.
He has had groups of kids running into his shop, messing around and trying to buy alcohol a few times. He adds: “We were against KFC coming. It just seems to keep the kids in the area that bit longer and when they get bored they resort to being idiots.
“We’ve had them coming into the shops asking for silly things, trying to buy alcohol in their school uniforms. It’s a worry if it gets any more serious. We just hope the novelty might wear off a bit.”
Locals say young people are consistently gathering outside the KFC on Allerton Road
Other local businesses told us they were worried the “atmosphere” of the road was changing and that this could put people off coming out at an already difficult time for small businesses to operate.
For Cllr Kemp, the temptation to say ‘I told you so’ must be overwhelming, well clearly it is, as he is very happy to say exactly that.
“I did say these things would happen, I did warn about this,” he tells us.
“Firstly I warned that KFC was totally out of keeping with the other establishments in Allerton Road. There are other places where people go, with a little bit of money, who go into restaurants and spend £50 or £60, that is not what KFC is – to call this a restaurant is a joke.
“We said that it would attract the wrong element to the area, which would jar, we knew it would be young people. We said it would cause problems with littering and we said there would be delivery cyclists going the wrong way down our one way street. All of those things have come true – at a tremendous cost to the public sector.”
He adds: “What we are getting is bunches of aggressive 14-year-old boys . They are being egged on by a smaller number of 14-year-old girls. We have had examples where older people haven’t been allowed to get into their cars by these groups, who are intimidating people.
“These aren’t just kids being a bit silly, they are aggressive. These are young lads on bikes, with hoodies, often with masks on and sometimes there are 25 of them. It is scary.”
He shares the concerns of the local businesses about the impact it could have on this previously idyllic community centre.
“People are now asking, should I go and shop on Allerton Road? It is putting people off. This is our district centre, it is where we go for a nice time. If people are scared of going there, businesses will close.”
He adds: “I’ve been the councillor here for 23 years and we have never had anything like a dispersal order on Allerton Road, it is unheard of. It all happened from the day KFC opened.”
Never one to shy away from the action, Cllr Kemp is now setting up what he calls a ‘KFC Watch’, which is essentially like a neighbourhood watch – but with more chicken.
“It will be an email line and anyone can report anything in terms of incidents,” the veteran councillor explains. “We will send it on to the police and the council and we can build a log up. We have been very pleased with the way the police have responded, they have been very proactive.”
Vicky and Gareth, owners of The Dead Crafty Beer Company on Allerton Road(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
That proactive police action, widely welcomed amongst the businesses of Allerton Road, culminated in the dispersal order that was put in place for 48 hours from last Friday.
Announcing that order, which gives officers the power to direct people engaged in anti-social behaviour away from an areas, Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Michelle Ingram said: “We have proactively put this dispersal zone in place after a steady increase in reports regarding youths gathering within the Allerton Road area of Liverpool, particularly in the late afternoon and into the evening period.
“Incidents include setting off fire extinguishers inside shops and vandalising the reception area, toilets, throwing chairs, balls and refusing to leave the stores.”
As for their role in all this, KFC says it is aware of the issues associated with its new Liverpool venue and is working to address them. A spokesperson said a meeting is being arranged with Cllr Kemp and based on his current mood – we don’t fancy the colonel’s chances.
A spokesperson for KFC told the ECHO: “We’re aware of on-going activity close to and around our new Allerton Road restaurant and understand and share the concerns being raised.
“Since we opened our doors in Allerton, being a good neighbour and a positive force in the community is a top priority for us.
“We are working closely with and taking the time to listen to local partners, including the police, local schools, neighbouring businesses and local residents, to work together to collectively address the issue and help create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone in the area.”