KFC is setting out new bait for the millennials who’ve made the likes of Chick-fil-A and Zaxby’s such fast-rising stars: a new restaurant design the developers call “carnival-esque.” The franchisor has vowed to retrofit the look onto 70 percent of domestic units—3,150 out of 4,500 stores—by 2017, dipping into a $185 million kitty that was set aside last year by the chain for franchisee rehabs.
The system is betting the modernized design will deliver at least the 3 percent sales gain the re-do generated at test stores.
The look was developed by FRCH Design Worldwide, which specializes in fast-casual restaurant design.
Here’s a quick tour.