KFC has revealed a brand-new concept restaurant set to open this month, rivaling popular chicken tender chains like Raising Cane’s.
The move from KFC comes as it claims younger customers are more focused on sauce offerings and boneless chicken.
KFC is launching a concept restaurant (stock image)[/caption]
The new location will compete with brands like Raising Cane’s (stock image)[/caption]
It’s called Saucy and will open in a prominent US city[/caption]
Customers will see a new color format[/caption]
To capitalize on that, the fast food giant will open the restaurant Saucy in Orlando, Florida, on December 20, according to Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN).
KFC says Saucy is a “flavor-forward dining destination” that serves chicken tenders with 11 sauce options.
The number of sauces was specifically selected out of recognition of the 11 ingredients that make up KFC’s Original Recipe of herbs and spices for its chicken.
Customers who head to Saucy and order chicken tenders can get Chimichurri Ranch, Peri Peri Ranch, Jalapeño Pesto Ranch, Smokey Bacon Ranch, Thai Sweet ‘N Spicy, Sweet ‘N Saucy BBQ, Saucy’s Sauce, Spicy Mango Chutney, Saucy Ranch, Creole Honey Mustard, or Sweet Teriyaki with the meal.
Christophe Poirier, chief concept officer at KFC, argued that consumers are “obsessed” with sauces and that “more is more” when considering sauce offerings.
“With Saucy, we’ve taken KFC’s famous Original Recipe and amplified it with a brand-new concept that lets consumers play with flavor,” Poirier told NRN.
The Saucy location in Orlando has different coloring than KFC’s typical red and white, opting for pinks, purples, and oranges.
Inside the restaurant, there is updated technology, including ordering kiosks, a relatively spacious dining area, an outdoor area for live performances, and, of course, a drive-thru.
TENDER TREND
“Building on this modernized ‘finger-lickin’ good,’ we came up with a new vision, which is a lot of sauces, a lot of color, and a lot of drinks,” Poirer explained while speaking with CNN.
Everything was updated with Saucy to appeal to younger customers and was “specifically targeted to Gen Z.”
KFC found that younger diners typically opt for chicken tenders because they’re easier to have while traveling, rather than trying to eat its famous fried chicken off the bone.
This was emphasized by data from the food consulting firm Technomic Ignite, which noted a five percent uptick in chicken tender availability in the United States over the past five years.
Even with the focus on tenders, Saucy will still have a limited menu of some chicken sandwiches, desserts, fruit-flavored beverages and side options, coleslaw, fries, and toasted rolls.
So far, there are no concrete plans for other Saucy locations outside of Orlando, as it will serve as a test for KFC.
KFC’s Saucy Restaurant
KFC will launch a new restaurant called Saucy in Orlando, Florida, on December 20, 2024. It will be chicken-tender focused with 11 sauce options for customers. They are listed below:
- Chimichurri Ranch
- Peri Peri Ranch
- Jalapeño Pesto Ranch
- Smokey Bacon Ranch
- Thai Sweet ‘N Spicy
- Sweet ‘N Saucy BBQ
- Saucy’s Sauce
- Spicy Mango Chutney
- Saucy Ranch
- Creole Honey Mustard
- Sweet Teriyaki
SPIN-OFF TAKEOVER
The move to concept restaurants has been explored by other prominent fast food chains like Taco Bell and McDonald’s recently.
Taco Bell opened the Liv Mas Cafe in San Diego, California, just a few weeks ago.
It’s a beverage-focused version of the restaurant offering customers Chillers, Aguas Refrescas, coffee, and more.
Traditional Taco Bell food offerings are still available at the cafe, but the brand seeks to “elevate the Taco Bell experience” with “an innovative beverage lineup and Bellristas,” per a press release.
McDonald’s also confirmed plans to introduce CosMc’s, it’s beverage spin-off chain, last December.
It soft-launched 10 CosMc’s locations in the Midwest and South, with a wide variety of drink options to compliment breakfast food offerings.
More CosMc’s will be on the way if the tests prove successful.
Aside from concept restaurants, KFC has made other unique moves.
It recently introduced the “first ever” chicken-flavored lick-able Christmas wrapping paper.
There’s also now a new candle from KFC that smells like its Buttery Biscuit.
