KFC is dipping into the increasingly crowded chicken-tender restaurant arena.
The Louisville, Kentucky-based fried-chicken chain will open its first Saucy location next week. The restaurant will be specifically dedicated to serving tenders and an array of 11 sauces — reminiscent of KFC’s famed recipe of 11 herbs and spices. The new concept is scheduled to debut Monday at the former site of a traditional KFC at 502 S. Alafaya Trail in Orlando, Florida.
That city was chosen for Saucy's first location because of its diverse demographics "but expect to see more, soon," KFC said. The eatery's environment will cater to "a new generation" — Gen Z, or people born between 1997 and 2012 — and aim to encourage customers "to hang out," according to company officials.
KFC is looking to enter a dining segment that already includes several players that are expanding, namely Raising Cane's restaurants, based in Plano, Texas, and Layne's Chicken Fingers, headquartered in Frisco, Texas. Raising Cane's has roughly 800 locations, while much-smaller Layne's has about 30.
KFC's foray comes as its parent, restaurant operator Yum Brands, has experienced obstacles. In the third quarter, the company saw same-store sales at KFC and Pizza Hut decline, while they rose at Taco Bell. Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen has surpassed KFC as the No. 2 chicken chain in terms of market share in the United States, behind No. 1 Chick-fil-A.
“Everyone is obsessed with sauce — more is more,” Christophe Poirier, KFC chief new concept officer, said in a statement. “With Saucy, we’ve taken KFC’s famous original recipe and amplified it with a brand-new concept that lets consumers play with flavor. You can pick a combo, choose a flight of sauces or, my personal favorite, mix sauces and sides to create your perfect meal."
There are over 4,000 different ways to order at Saucy "and have a different flavor experience every time,” according to Poirier.
The chicken and sauces can be paired with Hawaiian rolls, crinkle-cut fries and coleslaw. Diners can also choose an EZ Crispy Sandwich, a Spicy Queso Crunch Sandwich or various combos, including a three-piece tenders combo with a toasted roll, fries, medium drink and choice of sauce for $7.99.
Saucy's lineup of sauces includes chimichurri ranch, peri peri ranch, jalapeno pesto ranch, smokey bacon ranch, Thai sweet 'n spicy, sweet 'n saucy BBQ, Saucy's sauce, spicy mango chutney, saucy ranch, Creole honey mustard and sweet teriyaki.
“Being sauce-focused allows us to be as creative as we want," Poirier said. "Saucy is debuting with these 11 sauces, but we envision limited-edition sauces, trend-inspired sauces and sauces created in response to changing taste buds."
Saucy will have a much different "look and feel" than a KFC and offer a "tech-forward customer experience," according to KFC's statement on the new concept.
"Drive-thru lanes allow traditional traffic flow, while inside, diners are invited to order their personalized meal at efficient kiosks and welcomed to stay awhile in an environment meant to hang out," KFC said. The concept is expected to debut programming such as live entertainment.
A “digital twin” of the Saucy restaurant will take its real-world data and run simulations to create proprietary algorithms that inform how to make tenders as fresh as possible, according to KFC.