KFC Unveils 'Open House' Restaurant Concept to Modernize Brand

KFC has launched a new restaurant concept called "Open House" in McKinney, Texas, as part of a broader strategy to modernize the brand while retaining its iconic identity. KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie stated that the restaurant serves as a testing ground for evolving the 75-year-old fast-food chain founded by Colonel Harland Sanders.

"This is the Kentucky Fried comeback made real in one restaurant," Tan-Gillespie told Fox News Digital. The company aims to shift from being a brand primarily evoked through memory to one actively considered for contemporary dining occasions.

The Open House design incorporates elements of Art Deco and mid-century modern architecture, featuring large glass windows, digital ordering systems, and advanced drive-thru technology. Simultaneously, it emphasizes a welcoming atmosphere with lobby hosts, table service, booths, and outdoor dining spaces.

"For me, the philosophy is that we should be digital where it’s helpful, but human where it matters," Tan-Gillespie explained. This approach extends to the menu, which builds upon signature items like buckets of original recipe chicken while introducing new offerings such as tenders, wings, sandwiches, wraps, and nuggets. The expansion also includes new sauces, drinks, snacks, sweets, and sides.

KFC is also using the Open House location to experiment with breakfast and late-night service, operating hours from 6 a.m. to midnight. This allows the company to assess the commercial viability of these dayparts, which have not traditionally been a significant focus for KFC in the U.S.

"We will see if those shoulder day parts work commercially for us and work for the guests, work for our team members," Tan-Gillespie said. "If they don’t, we’ll cut them back. And if they do, then we can look to scale them nationally."

The choice of McKinney, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, was strategic. Tan-Gillespie noted the region's dynamic restaurant market and McKinney's demographic mix, which includes existing KFC customers and potential new patrons. The suburban setting is also intended to provide a test case that can be replicated in similar markets nationwide.

Despite the modernizations, core elements of the brand remain sacrosanct. "Buckets of original recipe fried chicken should not change," Tan-Gillespie affirmed. "I think the things that should change is making sure that we expand into the ways that customers want to eat fried chicken today."

Regarding Colonel Sanders' potential reaction to these changes, Tan-Gillespie expressed confidence. "I think he would feel really proud, actually," she said. "I think he would say, ‘This feels like me. This feels like what I was trying to do.’ But for today."