KFC Is Testing Out a Sit-Down Restaurant
The chain is introducing 'Open House' locations.
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Synonymous with "finger lickin' good" fried chicken, KFC has built a true legacy since its first location opened in a gas station nearly a century ago. In recent years, the chain has experimented with various tweaks, from menu items to new concepts like Saucy, a fast-casual chicken-focused spinoff with a more minimal menu.
Its newest concept, "Open House," though, is the result of asking "how do we jolt the system and jump forward a decade," according to President Catherine Tan-Gillespie.
"From a menu revamp centered around boneless chicken and crave-worthy sauces to modern restaurants and a refreshed brand identity, KFC is rolling out a more flavor-forward experience built for today’s consumer — starting in the UK and Ireland," the brand states in a press release.
What is KFC Open House?
Open House, which is set to open its first location near Dallas, will be a sit-down offering with a more direct focus on hospitality. The menu, which will still include classic KFC items, will also have options "packaged in a new way," Tan-Gillespie says.
“Hospitality was key when the brand was born," she adds in an interview with Restaurant Business Online. “It’s the idea of serving hot chicken in a warm and welcoming environment with a bold new restaurant design.”
Open House will offer table service as well as a drive-thru and takeout. Per Alicia Kelso, with Restaurant Business Online, "The goal is for Open House to inform how future KFC restaurants are built and how existing ones evolve over time."
What other changes are coming to KFC?
KFC is experimenting with over 100 innovative new menu ideas, including a new slate of beverages such as dirty soda as a part of KFC's new "Kwench" beverage program, though it hasn't arrived yet in the U.S. yet.
In Restaurant Dive, Julie Littman says some early examples of these beverages — already available in the U.K. and Ireland — are "premium drinks like Boba Refreshers, Krunch Shakes, Sparkling Lemonades and Iced Coffee."
Another key market is sauces, ostensibly in order to tie in with Saucy.
The bulk of these changes and new innovations are being developed in KFC's Global Innovation Hub, which is a new venture that began back in September.
According to Restaurant Business Online, Open House is not a spinoff KFC concept, but instead a "new restaurant prototype with modernized features that differ from a traditional KFC restaurant."
The goal is to focus on hospitality, not merely efficiency, to bring KFC to a new level and appeal to Gen Z and younger generations.
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