Willows KFC will remain open

The owners of the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Willows said their store remains open for business and is not affected by the closure of 14 KFC franchises in the North State.

Hank Apodaca announced Monday his Willows franchise on Humboldt Avenue and his Paradise restaurant are still operating and are not part of the bankruptcy that forced the others to close.

He said he and Lety Apodaca are officers of Apodaca Enterprises and have been Kentucky Fried Chicken franchisees for 32 years.

Their company is not part of the bankruptcy case surrounding another firm that owned the other restaurants, Apodaca said.

News reports have said Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets in Yuba City, Redding and other Northern California locations have closed, as has the restaurant in Oroville, which was not open Monday night. A Chico restaurant also closed, but another remains open in a different part of town as it was not part of the bankruptcy.

The closed restaurants also were reportedly sold and are scheduled to re-open as Popeye Louisiana restaurants in a few months.