Expect to see more sauces and beverages from KFC. The company today unveiled its "next chapter" of innovation, including new menu offerings, a refreshed brand identity, and modernized restaurants. The updated positioning will begin in the United Kingdom and Ireland before expanding across Australia and the U.S. throughout the rest of this year.
The updated experience will eventually roll out to KFC’s 34,000-plus restaurants in more than 150 countries.
“In an increasingly crowded category, we have a clear opportunity to set the standard for modern chicken in QSR,” KFC Global CEO Scott Mezvinsky said in a statement. “This next chapter brings new energy and expression to what makes us iconic, while doubling down on our chicken and reimagining how fans experience KFC around the world.”
As expected, sauces will play a major role in this systemwide update. KFC has been experimenting with and growing its Saucy concept since late 2024 across Florida and into Texas, pulling learnings from that tenders-and-sauces-focused concept into its flagship brand. The company also recently created an innovation hub, including a global “pantry” featuring more than 20 sauces designed to meet the growing consumer demand for customization and new flavor experiences. Examples include Chimichurri Ranch and Hot Honey Habanero.
Some KFC global markets, including South Africa and India have also started rolling out “Dunked” menu items, which include tenders, wings, and sandwiches drenched in sauces. In the coming weeks in the U.K. and Ireland, KFC will introduce new tenders and nine new sauces.
Technomic’s Flavor Consumer Trend Report finds that 34% of consumers consider what sauces and condiments are available before visiting a restaurant. Additionally, research from parent company Yum Brands shows that sauces are 2.4 times more likely to bring excitement to consumers versus other food items.
Beverages will also play a bigger role in the chicken chain’s future, with pages pulled from Kwench by KFC, a global drink platform featuring items like Boba Refreshers, Krunch Shakes, Sparkling Lemonades, and Ice Coffees. Kwench has already launched in select UK and Ireland locations and is expanding from pilot to permanent menu in Australia in Canada this year.
In February, a KFC spokesperson said, “We are evaluating when Kwench will show up in the U.S. and will share more as plans develop.”
These menu updates will be complemented by refreshed branding across the markets’ communications, packaging, advertising, restaurant environments, and digital touchpoints. According to the company, assets will be updated to appear “more relevant, expressive, and more in tune with modern culture, while staying grounded in the Colonel and iconic ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ ethos.” The signature bucket, for instance, will feature a subtle update of the Colonel design.
The final piece of this Next Gen evolution is updated restaurants. The company said these spaces are designed for hospitality with “environments that feel more dynamic and adapt throughout the day to meet different occasions.”
An updated prototype, called Open House, will debut later this summer in McKinney, Texas, close to parent company Yum Brands’ Plano headquarters. During a recent interview, KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie said the menu will include both new items and signature items “packaged in a new way.” It will also feature a different experience than a traditional KFC, including table service, a drive-thru, and takeout.
“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?” she 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?”
Also, an immersive two-story restaurant will debut in the fall in Dubai. These restaurant updates will be made with new builds and remodels.
KFC’s systemwide modernization effort comes a little over a year after KFC U.S. relocated its headquarters from Louisville, Kentucky, to Plano, allowing the global system to work more cohesively and share successful market-based learnings.
Tan-Gillespie said the move has helped provide catalyst for KFC U.S.’s turnaround plan, which is still in its early days but showing progress with three consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales following seven consecutive negative quarters.
“Being in Dallas has not only allowed us to attract a great team, but also apply learnings globally,” she said. “Working with (Mezvinsky) and the global team has been a really good combo, allowing us to easily find global best practice thinking.”
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