Piling on after the debacle over KFC's free chicken offer promoted on Oprah, El Pollo Loco (for Md. readers, a western chicken chain) disses KFC for not honoring the Oprah coupons on Mother's Day. From Nation's Restaurant News:

COSTA MESA, Calif. (May 7, 2009) Continuing to peck away at a rival brand’s grilled chicken promotion, El Pollo Loco on Thursday posted a viral video suggesting that KFC doesn’t honor mothers because a coupon for a free meal is not valid on Mother’s Day this Sunday.

Saying that El Pollo Loco “loves mothers and families,” the 418-unit chain on Mother’s Day will honor the KFC coupon offer of a free two-piece grilled chicken meal with sides, which was promoted Tuesday by television talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

The coupon was available for download on KFC’s website until midnight Wednesday and the giveaway reportedly prompted a run on chicken. KFC stores across the country reportedly had long lines and some ran short on supplies.

The KFC coupon is good through May 19 — excluding Mother’s Day, when El Pollo Loco hopes to pick up some of the 5,200-unit chain’s freebie-seeking customers.

Actually, the KFC coupon isn't good on Mother's Day or any other day. The chain got so swamped with requests that yesterday it stopped direct use of all the coupons. Now you have to go to the store, present your coupon, fill out a "rain check" form and wait for them to send you ANOTHER coupon in the mail.