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KFC is rolling out a brand overhaul that includes an expanded menu and modernized branding and restaurant designs.
“The brand is set to open a new generation of spaces designed for hospitality, not just efficiency – with environments that feel more dynamic and adapt throughout the day to meet different occasions,” the fried-chicken chain announced in a recent news release detailing the revamp.
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According to the company, “The first expressions of these newly designed spaces include an open-concept design in McKinney, Texas, reinterpreting the brand’s heritage with modern energy, expected to open late summer.”
The prototype eatery will be called “Open House,” KFC’s president Catherine Tan-Gillespie told Restaurant Business. It’ll be tested near the Plano, TX headquarters of Yum! Brands, KFC’s parent company, the publication reported.
KFC is revamping its brand with a new restaurant prototype, modern branding and new menu items. (iStock)
“We’re taking the idea that we can do all the things with our system, but how do we jolt the system and jump forward a decade?” Tan-Gillespie said. “What would the reinvention of KFC look like if the (founder) Colonel (Sanders) was here today? How do we take all of his legacy, his DNA, to a next generation concept?”
Table service, a drive-thru and takeout will be part of the Open House restaurant, reported Restaurant Business.
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“It’s the idea of serving hot chicken in a warm and welcoming environment with a bold new restaurant design,” Tan-Gillespie said. “It’s the reinvention of product, promotion and place.”
Along with the “next-gen restaurants,” KFC announced several menu additions.
The company is expanding its boneless menu items and adding “a lineup of 20+ sauces ranging from modern takes on classic recipes to internationally inspired yet familiar flavors.” Examples of new dipping-sauce flavors include Chimichurri Ranch and Hot Honey Habanero.
In addition to new restaurant designs, KFC announced a new focus on boneless chicken options and sauce flavors.
“KWENCH by KFC” is another initiative the company has introduced in some countries (it hasn’t arrived in the U.S. yet) that features Boba Refreshers, Krunch Shakes, Sparkling Lemonades and Iced Coffees.
In 2024, the company launched its first Saucy! by KFC, a concept restaurant focused on chicken tenders and sauces, in Orlando, FL. The company has since expanded Saucy! to 10 Florida locations and announced plans earlier this year to bring the concept to Texas.
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Along with the new restaurants and menu items, Colonel Sanders is getting a new look, too.
“The brand is evolving its most distinctive assets to feel more relevant, more expressive and more in tune with modern culture, while staying true to itself and grounded in the Colonel and its iconic ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ ethos,” the company said.
KFC announced the brand’s iconic Colonel Sanders imagery would be getting a subtle update. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The brand’s recognizable bucket is “refreshed with new energy alongside a subtle evolution of the Colonel himself, ensuring the brand’s legacy remains front and center,” KFC said.
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Digital reached out to KFC for comment.
