Skiers visiting two of Italy’s most famous mountain destinations this winter will soon have an unexpected and decidedly non-Italian option for lunch: Kentucky Fried Chicken. The American fast-food chain’s plans to open restaurants directly on the slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo and Madonna di Campiglio have sparked a backlash, with one prominent local businessman threatening legal action.
KFC announced that both restaurants will open December 5, 2026, in partnership with Super G, an Italian company specializing in mountain restaurants and apres-ski entertainment. According to local reporting from Voci di Cortina, the locations will be the first KFC restaurants operating directly on ski slopes in Italy.
At Madonna di Campiglio, the restaurant will be located in the Piana di Nambino area at approximately 5,600 feet above sea level. The Cortina location will sit even higher, nearly 7,000 feet up on Mount Faloria, inside the Faloria Mountain Club.
Both locations will serve familiar KFC products, including fried chicken tenders, spicy wings, sandwiches and the chain’s signature buckets of chicken (no word on Twisters, that may be a step too far). The restaurants are scheduled to operate throughout the 2026-27 ski season.
Not Everyone Is Happy About Fried Chicken in the Dolomites
As you might imagine the announcement has generated considerable opposition among residents, local officials and organizations concerned about the increasingly commercial nature of mountain tourism. We are concerned there may be widespread repetitive strain injury in the near future in the local population do to overuse of mano a borsa gestures, we sincerely hope this is not the case.
One of the strongest objections has come from Alberico Zardini, the largest shareholder in Faloria Spa, the company responsible for ski lift infrastructure on Mount Faloria. The businessman has written to company management demanding that the project be reconsidered and threatening legal action against executives if it proceeds.
Zardini considers the proposed location particularly inappropriate because the mountain club is also planning an upscale hospitality development. He argues that placing a fast-food restaurant in the same facility could undermine Cortina’s reputation as a high-end Alpine destination.
Municipal officials have also expressed concerns. The municipality of Cortina has asked the operators to reconsider the partnership, with local representatives questioning whether the restaurant fits the image the resort community is trying to promote.
Officials in Madonna di Campiglio have raised similar objections. According to the regional newspaper Trentino, local Mayor Michele Cereghini said the announcement caught municipal officials by surprise and questioned whether an American fast-food restaurant belongs in an area traditionally associated with Alpine culture and regional cuisine.
A Bigger Debate About the Future of Mountain Tourism
The controversy extends beyond “Finger Lickin’ Good” fried chicken. Italy’s Dolomites are famous for their dramatic mountain scenery, extensive ski terrain and traditional Alpine restaurants. For generations, skiing in the region has been closely associated with Italian mountain food, including polenta, cured meats, regional cheeses and hearty mountain dishes served in high-elevation huts.
Critics worry that introducing international fast-food chains could accelerate the transformation of mountain villages and ski areas into increasingly standardized tourist destinations. Walter Ferrazza, president of Adamello Brenta Nature Park, has also publicly opposed the planned opening, arguing that protecting the mountains requires preserving the cultural character of the communities surrounding them.
KFC Sees an Opportunity
KFC, meanwhile, views the mountain restaurants as an opportunity to attract new customers and expand beyond its traditional urban locations. The company says the partnership with Super G is intended to serve an increasingly diverse group of mountain visitors, including younger skiers, families and international tourists.
Super G already operates mountain clubs combining restaurants, music and apres-ski entertainment. The KFC locations will be incorporated into those existing facilities rather than operating as conventional roadside fast-food restaurants.
The company plans to open both locations at noon daily, closing at 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Despite the opposition, the December 5 openings remain scheduled. No successful legal challenge or official decision blocking either restaurant has been reported.
Whether skiers embrace fried chicken as an alternative to traditional mountain dining remains to be seen, but the announcement has already ignited a much larger argument about what belongs in the Italian Alps.
