Those of you who’ve followed my blog over the last 13 years know that many of the fast-food restaurants we took for granted in the States are not available here in Argentina. In some cases, certain popular chains like Wendy’s and KFC have, until recently, been limited to the CABA area — aka Argentina’s capital city. It’s one of the many reasons why we’ve traveled so often to Buenos Aires over the years. Among those reasons was our desire to get our American fast-food fix before heading back to our host city of Córdoba.
But recently, it came to our attention that KFC has been expanding its food empire beyond the borders of CABA. The more interesting rumor was that a KFC was scheduled to open in Nuevocentro Shopping — a mall here in Córdoba City — and also one near Plaza España.
We did a quick Google search, and only the Nuevocentro Shopping location appeared, supposedly open until 10 p.m. Before heading out, we checked the reviews to see what people were saying, and the results were mixed. Not because people didn’t like it, though — some claimed they had eaten at the KFC in Nuevocentro Shopping, while others insisted it wasn’t open to the public yet.
Determined to find out, the hubs sent me to investigate — and hopefully bring back a KFC bucket full of crispy chicken and whatever sides Argentine KFCs now offered. I say this because the last time I went to a KFC in CABA, they had removed a lot of the popular side orders, like mashed potatoes with gravy.
So off I went to Nuevocentro Shopping. This was my first time there since the hubs and I stayed at the Sheraton Hotel right next to the mall back in 2020.
Aside from the unusually empty streets, I quickly discovered that a few things had changed since our last visit.
For starters, the Sheraton was no longer the Sheraton. It’s now a 5-Star hotel called Quinto Centenario.
Then, as I walked inside the mall, I noticed a few other changes. For instance, the Burger King right next to the movie theater had been replaced by Tostada, an Argentine eatery.
Also, the DISCO supermarket on the first floor had been replaced by a JUMBO. Not that it’s a problem — they still carry most of the items the hubs and I loved getting from DISCO, like pickles in a jar, pretzels, and international products such as GOYA foods.
I actually stopped by the supermarket first because I wanted to buy a reusable bag to carry the KFC food home. I was taking the bus, after all, and with locals having the charming habit of sneezing and coughing without covering their mouths, I wanted to make sure the food was protected from everyone’s nasty germs.
Next, I noticed that Falabella — the three-story department store that once offered everything from clothing and electronics to home décor and, seasonally, Christmas items — had been replaced by a one-story store called Mia Casa.
But my primary mission remained clear: Find KFC.
I looked all over the mall and still hadn’t found it. Finally, I made my way to the food court, where — aside from McDonald’s — everything else seemed to offer the same bland, predictable food.
Then I spotted something in the corner of the food court where a Subway used to be years ago. There, right outside a kids’ gaming center, was a wall plastered with KFC advertisements. The only problem? It was closed. In fact, it looked more like the restaurant was still under construction behind those walls.
My heart sank. I couldn’t believe I had come all this way, overriding every instinct telling me to stay home (thanks, social anxiety), just to return empty-handed. I decided to ask a nice cleaning lady and two security guards if they knew anything about a grand opening date.
All three told me I wasn’t the first person to ask and that, unfortunately, there was no official opening date yet — but that it would open eventually.
At the time, that news wasn’t exactly comforting. However, I later realized that all the online articles mentioned KFC was coming to Córdoba City in November — which is now. So, there’s still hope it’ll open within the next few weeks.
I contacted KFC in Argentina through social media sites like Instagram and Facebook to get an exact date, but they have not responded.
I’m crossing my fingers for a grand opening before Thanksgiving. As I mentioned in my previous post, both of my ovens are barely working, and attempting a traditional Thanksgiving dinner would probably result in an undercooked turkey.
So maybe, just maybe, KFC will save our Thanksgiving 2025 — and I’ll handle the side dishes at home.
I’ll keep you all posted on whether my plan works out — and, of course, when KFC finally opens its doors here in Córdoba City.
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UPDATE NOVEMBER 11TH: KFC finally responded and claim they have no grand opening date as of yet. They have also removed the Google search result that claimed KFC was available at Nuevocentro Shopping.
