How the Fried Chicken Bucket Became an American Icon | Eater

"The chain’s paper bucket — invented in 1957 as a practical carrier for family-size fried chicken meals — is presented as an iconic, highly functional piece of packaging that has become a cultural totem. The bucket’s cylindrical, waxy form with a vented paper lid conveys warmth, portability, and communal eating; it’s cheap enough to feed large groups, adaptable for at-home or in-car consumption, and tied to traditions such as the party-barrel custom in Japan. Beyond utility, the vessel has accrued pop-cultural meaning (appearing in films, worn as stage props, and collected as vintage ephemera) and helped sustain restaurants during the pandemic when chefs repackaged fried chicken into large-format offerings that traveled well and sold consistently." - Nicole Adlman