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KFC’s comeback is no longer just about stopping the bleeding. Three quarters of positive same-store sales after seven straight quarters of declines, U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie is already asking: “What would the reinvention of KFC look like if the Colonel [Sanders] was here today?”
The answer is a concept called Open House. According to Restaurant Business, KFC plans to open the test location this summer in McKinney, Texas, near Yum Brands’ Plano headquarters. The concept will feature table service, a drive-thru, new menu items alongside signature offerings and a new restaurant design. “It’s the reinvention of product, promotion, and place,” Tan-Gillespie told RB.
Open House will initially be company-owned, but a KFC franchisee has already agreed to develop one as well. KFC also has at least 100 menu innovations currently in consumer testing, with more expected to roll out in the next six to 12 months.