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KFC's Bold Makeover: Old Fried Chicken, New Vibe
26 Sep
Summary
- KFC is testing a new restaurant concept called Open House in McKinney, Texas.
- The modern design blends Art Deco and mid-century influences with digital ordering.
- The menu expands beyond original recipe to include tenders, wings, and wraps.
KFC is actively reinventing its image with a new experimental restaurant, Open House, located in McKinney, Texas. This initiative, spearheaded by KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie, aims to attract modern consumers while honoring the brand's 75-year heritage. The restaurant design is a fusion of Art Deco and mid-century modern styles, featuring expansive glass windows and integrated digital ordering systems.
Internally, the Open House concept focuses on balancing digital efficiency with personal interaction, offering features like lobby hosts and table service. The menu strategy mirrors this philosophy by retaining iconic items like the original recipe buckets while introducing contemporary options such as tenders, wings, wraps, and sandwiches. The restaurant will also test extended operating hours, from 6 a.m. to midnight, to explore potential breakfast and late-night markets.
The choice of McKinney, a fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, is strategic for scalability, providing a diverse customer base. Tan-Gillespie emphasized that core products like buckets of original recipe fried chicken will remain unchanged. The goal is to adapt KFC to evolving customer preferences for consuming fried chicken today, ensuring the brand's enduring appeal for future generations.
