6 KFC products, no KFC outlet: Cortina's Faloria hut scales back fast food
A mountain hut above Madonna di Campiglio, the second resort in KFC's plan, in April 2017. Photo: Michal Průcha via Wikimedia Commons, CC0
KFC will not get its own outlet at 2,123 metres on Cortina d'Ampezzo's Monte Faloria. On Monday 9 November 2026 the board of the lift company Faloria S.p.A. limited the plan to 6 KFC products in the hut's existing bar. The plan at Madonna di Campiglio, at 1,700 metres, still stands for 5 December.
In short
- On Thursday 5 November 2026 KFC Italia announced two slope-side outlets for 5 December, at Cortina and Madonna di Campiglio.
- Alberico Zardini, the largest shareholder of Faloria S.p.A., threatened to report the board and the director.
- On 9 November the Faloria board said KFC gets no single-brand outlet and no branding on the hut.
- The ground-floor bar of the Rifugio Faloria adds 6 KFC products to its snack range.
- As of 10 November 2026, no source reports a change for the Campiglio outlet at Piana di Nambino.
What KFC announced
KFC Italia and the après-ski operator SUPER G announced the plan on 5 November, in a press release that Bellunopress published in full. They called the two venues Italy's first quick-service restaurants directly on the ski slopes.
| Detail | Cortina d'Ampezzo | Madonna di Campiglio |
|---|---|---|
| Place | Faloria Mountain Club, Monte Faloria | Piana di Nambino, next to Meraviglioso Campiglio |
| Altitude | 2,123 m | 1,700 m |
| Planned opening | 5 December 2026 | 5 December 2026 |
| Hours, Monday–Thursday | 12:00–17:00 | 12:00–17:00 |
| Hours, Friday–Sunday | 12:00–19:30 | 12:00–19:30 |
| Status, 10 November 2026 | 6 KFC products in the existing bar | Plan unchanged |
Sources: KFC Italia / SUPER G press release, 5 November 2026; Faloria S.p.A. statement, 9 November 2026.
The menu was to include Tender Crispy, spicy wings and the Bucket. The release also set a target of 185 KFC restaurants in Italy by the end of 2026.
The shareholder who said no
The strongest protest came from inside the lift company. Alberico Zardini is the largest shareholder of Faloria S.p.A. He sent an email to the board and the management from Dubai, Il Gazzettino and Il Messaggero report.
"It is absurd and shameful to imagine a fast food in the most beautiful place in Cortina," Zardini told reporter Damiano Tormen. If Faloria S.p.A. did not step back, he said, he would report the board and the director. As of 10 November 2026, no source reports a complaint filed.
The town also spoke up. Cortina councillor Stefano Ghezze made "a heartfelt appeal to reconsider this decision, which certainly does not benefit Cortina," il Nord Est reports. The paper puts the Faloria refit at €6.2 million, financed with a €5.7 million bank loan.
The Faloria board steps back
The Faloria S.p.A. board, chaired by Alessandro Menardi, met on Monday 9 November. Its statement says the image of a KFC-branded hut went out without the board's approval. The company never authorised any change to the building, it adds.
"We have a duty to protect its architecture and its relationship with the landscape," general manager Renzo Minella said of the Rifugio Faloria.
SUPER G founder Andrea Baccuini confirmed in the same statement that KFC gets no single-brand outlet on the mountain. The existing ground-floor bar-café keeps its sandwiches, toasties and snacks and adds 6 KFC products. SUPER G's Italian restaurant Meraviglioso continues.
Il Messaggero writes that Zardini's intervention weighed on the board's decision. As of 10 November 2026, we found no reaction from KFC Italia to the Faloria statement.
Madonna di Campiglio is still on
In Trentino the plan has not changed in any source we found. Michele Cereghini, mayor of Pinzolo, the municipality that includes Madonna di Campiglio, told the ANSA agency of his embarrassment and astonishment. The plan "certainly does not reflect the identity, culture and history of Campiglio," he said, as l'Adige reports.
Cristian Ferrari, president of the Trentino alpine club SAT, warned of a cultural flattening of the tourist offer. He added that spas and pools at 2,000 metres worry him more than fried chicken.
The debate reached Rome. Agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida called mountains and fast-food culture opposites, according to Il Messaggero. The Padua ski club Ski 1Team, with 700 to 800 members a year, told the paper it will skip Campiglio if the outlet opens.
Faloria in numbers
Faloria has run lifts since 1939, when the historic cable car opened, according to the company. The area has more than 16 km of pistes and one of the longest seasons in the Dolomiti Superski network.
| Faloria S.p.A. | Figure |
|---|---|
| Lifts since | 1939 |
| Pistes | more than 16 km |
| Rifugio Faloria altitude | 2,123 m |
| Refit of the hut (il Nord Est) | €6.2 million |
What this means for your skis
Whether the hut sells fried chicken or not, most skiers come to Cortina and Madonna di Campiglio for groomed pistes. On firm groomers a ski needs edge grip and a stable platform at speed. We compared the makers' figures for two different approaches:
| Ski | Waist | Radius | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blizzard Firebird HRC | 69 mm | 15 m at 170 cm | Hard groomers, carving |
| Elan Ripstick 88 Black Edition | 88 mm at 168 cm | 14.8 m at 168 cm | Pistes plus soft snow at the side |
A narrow carver suits the classic Dolomites day on groomers. A wider all-mountain ski gives up some edge grip but floats better when it snows. Our ski finder matches the catalog to your weight, level and terrain.
Sources
- KFC Italia / SUPER G, press release, 5 November 2026 (published in full by Bellunopress)
- Faloria S.p.A., board statement, 9 November 2026 (published in full by Bellunopress)
- Il Messaggero / Il Gazzettino, Damiano Tormen, 9 November 2026; Marco Dibona, 10 November 2026
- l'Adige, "Fast food sulle piste di Campiglio, il sindaco: imbarazzo e stupore", 6 November 2026
- il Nord Est, Elia Cavarzan, 9 November 2026
.jpg){kind=link}