Staff photo by Clay Schuldt The Kentucky Fried Chicken store on 7th North Street is closed.

NEW ULM — The Kentucky Fried Chicken store on 7th North Street is closed. It’s last day of operation was Sunday.

The KFC was part of the community for 47 years, but the franchise contract with KFC expired earlier this year. The last few days the restaurant depleted its inventory before closing the doors for good.

The restaurant had served as a combination KFC and Taco Bell. The Taco Bell licensing contract ran out first and the KFC contract followed.

A sign in the window cited the inability to make a profit on the restaurant due to market size and the effects of road construction.

Restaurant employee Sam Poquette said the road construction on 7th North was a huge factor.

“There was a 40 percent loss in sales the first day the road was close,” he said. Sales went downhill from there.

With construction on the 14/15 interchange continuing over this summer, the sales were unlikely to pick up.

Restaurant General Manager Tana Osweiler said they knew they would need to close for sometime, but was still surprised at the speed it happened. At this time it is still up in the air as to what will happen with the building.

Poquette said it is sad because the restaurant had been one of the last KFC/Taco Bell combination left in Minnesota.