Right: the staff of the new Parramatta "concept" KFC outlet may soon be serving liquor and beer to diners.
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Background information
Diversifying fast food (including the sale of alcohol)
International variations of American fast food chains have sold alcohol for years, with McDonald's in Munich, for example, first serving beer in 1971. A number of chains, like Carl's Jr. and Pizza Hut, have been serving alcohol in the United States for decades without attracting much media attention. However, since the global financial crisis, food chains, including Chipotle and Sonic, have begun promoting the service of alcohol with their products.
In 2010, Burger King attracted America-wide attention when they introduced their BK Whopper Bars, where alcohol is sold at specially designed kiosks targeting a twenty-something demographic and a smorgasbord of toppings for their signature Whopper. The menu focused on Budweiser, Bud Light and Miller Lite.
Difficulties selling alcohol at fast food outlets
However, the legal requirements - location specific alcohol regulations and licensing issues for serving beer at fast food establishments - proved more difficult than anticipated for the majority of the Whopper Bars. At the Whopper Bar location in Times Square, the promise of beer sales came to nothing when the city denied the restaurant's liquor license. (The location has since closed.) Currently, only two Whopper Bars - one in Las Vegas and one in South Beach - sell beer, and Burger King claims the chain currently has no plans to expand liquor sales.
In spite of these mixed results, a number of additional fast food chains have followed Burger King's lead, including White Castle and Sonic Drive-In. White Castle - a 93-year-old fast food chain known for their tiny, square sliders - served wine at their Lafayette, Indiana location for a short window beginning in 2011, but no longer serves alcohol at any of their outposts.
The addition of alcohol appears to have attracted curious customers for a time, but sales did not continue to grow. In 2011, Sonic's outlet in Homestead, Florida, began serving beer and wine to diners eating on the restaurant's patio. Since the addition of alcohol to the menu, sales have been steady but not large.
Greater success with alcohol service at fast-casual restaurants
'Fast-casual' restaurants are a slightly different concept to fast food restaurants. Though they do not offer full table service, they generally supply less mass-produced food and develop a more adult ambience. They aim to attract a demographic from twenty- to thirty-year-olds. These outlets frequently serve alcohol.
Chipotle, Qdoba and Moe's Southwest Grill all successfully serve a variety of beer at locations across the United States. These Mexican fast food restaurants put more effort into creating the kind of themed environment and cuisine-specific experience that encourages diners to sit and stay a while instead of dashing in and out. These restaurants bridge the divide between the convenience of more traditional fast food outlets and the better service and atmosphere of a sit-down Mexican restaurant. Diners seem to find consuming alcohol in such an environment a more natural thing to do.