KFC closes company-owned dining rooms across Florida

KFC has closed its companyowned dining rooms in Florida as the restaurant industry continues to react to the growing number of coronavirus cases in the state.

“Due to the continued escalation of COVID-19 cases in Florida, we have taken the step to close dining rooms in our 40 corporate-owned restaurants there,” the company said in a statement.

“We have advised our franchise locations in the hot spot states of Florida, Texas, Arizona and California that have reopened to consider closing dining rooms for dinein seating at this time.”

Only 5% of KFC restaurants across the country have opened dining room seating, the spokesperson said.

The restaurants continue to offer drive-through service as well as delivery and carry-out where available.

Florida dining rooms were permitted by the state to open back up in May, with capacity restrictions, but in June some began to close again. Some Orlando-area restaurants said they were closing as a precaution while others had employees test positive for the contagious virus.

The Salty Donut plans to open in a former automobile service shop in Orlando’s increasingly trendy Audubon Park neighborhood this fall.

The Miami-based business, which features a maple and bacon doughnut as well as a guava and cheese variety inspired by Cuban pastelitos, will open at 3025 Corrine Drive.

There are six permanent menu options and six others that rotate out, plus specials such as for the holidays, said Andy Rodriguez, who founded the business with his wife, Amanda Pizarro.

The Orlando site will be its fourth shop, with other stores in Miami and Dallas.

It will employ around 30 full- and part-time workers, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said Orlando could eventually get one or two more shops, but he did not have specifics yet on where they might end up.

The Salty Donut acquired the Corrine Drive property for more than $873,000 at the end of last year, property records show. Rodriguez said his business is expanding the building from about 2,100 to 2,500 square feet, and it will feature indoor and outdoor seating.

Shoppers might have trouble finding Coca-Cola in a can, or other soft drinks for that matter, because of a shortage of aluminum and high demand brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The giant company conceded as much in answering a question on Twitter from a consumer, who asked why she couldn’t find any Cherry Coke Zero on the shelves.

“Like many companies, we are