REXBURG — A small crowd gathered in front of the Rexburg KFC Friday night to pay their final respects to the Colonel’s famous chicken.

The Rexburg KFC closed down for repairs in September following a grease fire. But this month it was announced the building had been sold and the restaurant would not be reopening. Sadly, Rexburg residents will no longer be able to test the slogan “nobody does chicken like KFC.”

The announcement cut some locals deeply — deeper than a $5 fill-up.

“Many tears will be shed,” Rexburg resident Thomas Ferguson said.

The vigil started out as a joke on Facebook and then took on a life of its own, organizer Randy Ball said.

“Someone posted as a joke ‘Hey is anyone planning any vigils in honor of KFC closing?,'” Ball said. “I thought it would be pretty funny to do it so we started to spread the word about having one.”

RELATED: Rexburg KFC will be closed for months following morning fire

At least one of the attendees was mourning the loss of the greasy goodness that he’d never experienced.

“Honestly, I’ve never been to KFC before,” Ferguson said. “But fried chicken is also very good so it’s sad that it’s leaving.”

Ball wasn’t sure how many people would show up, but enough did to make their presence felt.

Some brought candles, one person brought a guitar, and everyone brought their appreciation for what was once one of the 20,000 KFC restaurants around the world.

And even after the ceremony, it was hard for the participants to accept it.

“It’s a pretty sad day for me,” Ball said.

“I think there were some management issues,” Ferguson said. “But I think they should just figure it out and maybe just open it back up.”

Now if Rexburg residents are craving 11 herbs and spices, they’ll have to drive about 30 miles to the next closest location in Idaho Falls.

This article was originally published by KPVI. It is used here with permission.