The KFC store in Carlton, Victoria, has taken home the top prize in the company’s CHAMPS Team Challenge, an employee engagement program that was started by a franchisee back in 1980.

KFC’s 800 stores took part in the program focused on customer service, food quality and presentation and the Carlton team [pictured] can now call themselves the best of the network’s 30,000 employees.

CHAMPS is integral to the training of KFC team members and training for the event has taken place for the past three months. Each state conducted market playoffs to determine the best team to represent their state for the final which this year took place at the KFC Reservoir store.

The store was in lock down for a full day for the teams to compete, with each team allocated one hour to impress the judges with their top-notch customer service, fresh, great-tasting chicken and burgers, and their outstanding packing and presentation. Among the judging panel was KFC Australia’s CEO, Tony Lowings.

For some of the teams, this was their first opportunity to fly interstate with some team members having never crossed state lines or been on a plane before.

All the finalist teams were given a Wii gaming device and the members of the winning Carlton team each received a brand new iPad.

CHAMPS is an acronym for cleanliness (of restaurants), hospitable (employees) accurate (orders), maintained (facilities), product (quality) and speed (of service).This forms part of KFC’s training as well as the Champs Team Challenge activities.