If the addition of In-N-Out and Chipotle to the Broadway lineup didn't slake your thirst for fast food, a KFC has arrived to bulk up the ranks. Anticipation has been building for years, even before the massive chicken chain broke ground and built its new location on the site of the infamously run-down Blue Heron Motel, previously owned by Floyd and Betty Squires. Read more about the new restaurant's owner and how it came into its digs here.

To those braving the potential traffic snarl from today's opening, good luck. To those less intrepid or perhaps feeling a little salty, Humboldt has a bevy of alternatives. If you have patience, Arcata's Plaza Grill has a fried chicken dinner in its takeout rotation, as does Six Rivers Brewery, and Restaurant Five Eleven has a popular buttermilk fried chicken. Ferndale's Fat Anne's has fried chicken dinners and buckets that can be made gluten-free upon request, and the recently opened Couxp truck in Arcata features a lineup of fried chicken sandwiches. These represent just the crispy tip of the mountain of local options. Feel free to share your favorites with us.