The Colonel is back in Whitehorse, and the KFC restaurant could hardly keep up with demand on the first day it reopened after a three-year hiatus.

Whitehorse residents were excited the fried-chicken franchise was back in town.

"I’ve been craving it, I’ve been waiting for it to open," said JR Manning, who waited in line for 30 minutes to get popcorn chicken, the restaurant’s ‘zinger’ and poutine.

The restaurant didn’t announce or advertise the day it would open, and it hasn’t had an official opening yet. But word that the doors would open Thursday spread fast in the city.

New franchise owner Joy Allen said it's been an exciting day.

"It's crazy here. We have a lot of cars that are parked outside in a line-up. I think it's great," she said.

Allen said she was expecting the first day to be busy and was prepared for the rush. By noon, lineups were almost out the door. Customers who finally got their heavily fried and battered poultry enjoyed their lunch outside in the sun.

The restaurant is located on 2nd Street, and will be open seven days a week.

Many residents of the Yukon capital took to social media to exclaim their joy about the return of their favourite fast-food chicken restaurant.