KFC announced in a release Thursday that it will debut an “Open House” restaurant concept where it will test new services including breakfast, late-night service and table service.
The expanded menu includes KFC’s first breakfast sandwiches, mini cronuts, and hot and iced coffee. There will also be drinks like the Boba Fresher and new sides like fried green beans and spicy pickles. In addition to dual drive-thru lanes and self-order kiosks, table service will also be available.
The brand will use the space to identify ideas to bring to restaurants across the country, especially as it looks to regain market share.
“We’re giving our guests a reason to try us and try us again, while also providing an authentic restaurant where we can learn what works for our guests, our team and our business, and scale our strongest ideas across the system,” Katherine Tan Gillespie, president of KFC U.S., said in a news release.
The 3,400-square-foot space will open in McKinney, Texas, on September 26, with a celebration planned for Sunday.
The open house includes an extensive rebranding effort by KFC. yum brand. The fast food chain recently announced changes, including an emphasis on boneless chicken and expanded sauce options.
These efforts come as the company adapts to competition from other fast food chicken chains. In August, QSR Magazine reported that KFC ranked fifth in sales among fast food chicken chains in the United States, behind Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, Raising Cane’s, and Wingstop.
In Yum Brands’ second quarter earnings report, KFC’s same-store sales growth rate was 2%. The company’s largest market is China, where sales rose 6% in the same period.
