<P> In August 1989, Cranor proposed amendments to the existing 1976 contract for US franchisees: PepsiCo could take over weak franchises, existing restaurants would not be safeguarded against competition from new outlets, and PepsiCo would have the right to increase royalty fees . The contract proved controversial amongst franchisees, who countered with a lawsuit, and the issue was not resolved until 1996 . PepsiCo was accused of behaving in an imperious manner towards franchisees, who it believed were holding back the firm's growth, while the franchisees believed they had been the backbone of the company during a succession of indifferent corporate owners . </P> <P> Cranor spent $42 million restructuring the company's operations worldwide . He invested an additional $50 million to refurbish outlets and $20 million on a new computer system to link outlet cash registers to the kitchen, drive - through window, manager's office and company headquarters . Cranor also expanded the chain into non-traditional locations, beginning with a 150 sq ft limited menu kiosk at a General Motors assembly plant in Dayton, Ohio . Between 1986 and 1991, the chain built a further 2,000 outlets to bring its total number to 8,500, and sales grew from $3.5 to $6.2 billion . The chain had to contend with the rise of grilled chicken as Americans became increasingly health conscious . KFC found itself competing against the growing El Pollo Loco restaurant chain, as well as with Burger King, which had just introduced the BK Broiler, a grilled chicken burger . Delays in product development, cramped kitchens and the ongoing franchisee contract dispute prevented the chain from rolling out a grilled product of its own . </P> <P> In March 1991 the KFC name was officially adopted, although the chain was already widely known by that initialism . The change was advised by the Schechter Group brand consultancy agency . Research demonstrated that 80 percent of customers already associated the "KFC" initials with Kentucky Fried Chicken . A spokesman for the chain said that it represented its diversified menu, which was moving away from solely fried products . Kyle Craig, president of KFC US, admitted the change was an attempt to distance the chain from the unhealthy connotations of "fried". In 1994, Milford Prewitt praised the "crafty and well - timed repositioning" in Nation's Restaurant News . On the other hand, a 2005 editorial in Advertising Age stated, "the chain's jettisoning of a venerable name--and distancing from the word fried--was ill - conceived and damaging . It made a clear brand fuzzy ." </P> <P> The early 1990s saw successful major products launched throughout the chain, including spicy "Hot Wings" (launched in 1990), popcorn chicken (1992), and, outside the US, the "Zinger", a spicy chicken fillet burger (1993). In 1993, rotisserie style chicken, under the name "Colonel's Rotisserie Gold", was introduced at over 30 percent of US outlets . However, despite a $100 million investment in marketing, the product failed to gain sales traction . The launch of skinless chicken, designed to appeal to health - conscious customers, failed; customers disliked the unfamiliar texture, and the product resulted in increased overheads, which contributed to a 37 percent decline in operating profits in 1991 . </P>

When did kentucky fried chicken start getting called kfc