KFC fans in US finally get a taste of fan-favorite items offered abroad as new ‘test lab’ opens
Faced with mounting competition from rivals such as Raising Cane’s, KFC is launching a strategy to reclaim its dominant position in the American fast-food market.
On Thursday, the brand debuted an experimental concept store in McKinney, Texas, designed to test new ideas domestically. Named Open House, the location marks the chain’s first venture into US breakfast service and features late-night hours.
Its menu introduces specialty beverages including boba refreshers and milkshakes topped with crunchy bits, alongside a broader selection of chicken tenders, dipping sauces, and sides like spicy pickles and fried green beans.
While the facility incorporates modern conveniences like a mobile pickup station and two drive-thru lanes, the interior layout invites guests to linger. Diners place orders at touch-screen kiosks before receiving table service from staff. The store also houses a merchandise section and a customer photo booth.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding which elements will reach KFC’s other 3,424 domestic branches. However, the beverage line is expected to expand broadly, following rollouts across international markets such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Turkey.
The Texas concept and gleaming, multi-story flagships set to open in Dubai, Seoul and London show KFC is trying to make grabbing fast food more of an experience.
“People don’t remember what they eat, but they remember how they were feeling when they were eating,” KFC Chief Concept Officer Christophe Poirier, who leads new restaurant design, said.
Poirier said KFC is automating tasks like ordering so employees can focus on hospitality. Ideally, KFC will function more like an Apple Store or a luxury retailer, he said, without the stressful lines or grumpy cashiers that plague the fast-food industry.
“You leave the retailer and say, ‘Wow. The product is amazing, but beyond that the service was amazing. For 10 or 15 minutes I was feeling like a king,’” he said.
KFC was the pioneer of fast-food fried chicken. The brand got its start in 1930, when Harland Sanders bought a roadside motel in Corbin, Kentucky, and started serving fried chicken to travelers. In 1952, the first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise opened in Utah.
Now owned by Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands, KFC has grown into one of the world’s largest fast-food chains. As of June, the brand counted more than 34,000 restaurants in over 150 countries. A new branch opens somewhere in the world every 3 1/2 hours, according to Poirier.
Sales are strong in international markets. China alone accounts for almost 40% of KFC restaurants worldwide. But U.S. sales have faltered as fast-growing competitors raced to meet rising demand for chicken from American consumers seeking leaner sources of protein.
Chick-fil-A and Popeyes began expanding rapidly in the 2010s; both brands now have nearly as many U.S. locations as KFC. Newer chains like Raising Cane’s, Dave’s Hot Chicken and Wingstop focused on chicken tenders and sauces, making KFC’s buckets of bone-in chicken look out of date.
McDonald’s said this week that it’s bringing hand-breaded chicken, like KFC has long made, to the U.S. and other markets. Even Long John Silver’s recently added fried chicken wings to its menu.
