A BELOVED chicken chain has announced that its adding 20 new locations to its lineup in the US.
The fast food joint, that’s often pitted against Popeyes, is hoping to capitalize on the renewed buzz for the food fans love it for.
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KFC is in need to a win, after its overall store count fell by 123 stores in 2024 and an additional 127 in 2023, per Restaurant Dive.
But there is a plan cooking, using the current interest in a spin-off chain as a way to direct that attention back to KFC in general.
KFC‘s Saucy concept restaurant, which focuses on chicken tenders, sauce and drinks, is making major waves in the sector right now.
Saucy launched in late 2024 and features 11 sauces that aren’t usually available at regular KFC restaurants.
KFC wants to use Saucy to reset its brand identity, given how popular it is.
KFC‘s CEO David Gibbs revealed that, at Saucy, “sales are at more than double the U.S. system average.”
As a result, KFC plans to expand with 20 new stores targeted in particular places.
Gibbs continued: “We’re planning a phased expansion to at least 20 stores targeting sites that allow us to unlock marketing synergies through geographic proximity.”
It is not known where Gibbs plans to put these new spots, but it seems like he primarily wants to generate foot traffic through the location of the store.
KFC is right to be concerned, given the steep competition it continues to face.
In the fast food industry, Taco Bell is on top right now, and is the winner of the 2024 value wars as well as an early winner in consumer trade.
Gibbs stressed that he wants to keep pace: “This quarter, Taco Bell saw a significant expansion in consumer penetration, reflecting our efforts to elevate our positioning and broaden our relevance, which helped us to grow traffic [in] low-single digits.”
NEW AT KFC
One of the things that Taco Bell has done best is introducing a series of successful menu additions, so KFC wants a piece of the pie.
The US Sun recently reported that KFC is launching a new collaboration to win over foodies.
The chain is launching a new item with Mike’s Hot Honey to bring fans a limited-time spicy twist on the chain’s chicken.
The fast food chain is giving fans its chicken tenders drizzled with the beloved sweet and spicy honey.
Fast Food meal deals
Here are some of the current value meals offered by popular fast food joints.
Taco Bell’s $7 Luxe Cravings Box:
- Chalupa Supreme
- Beefy Five-Layer Burrito
- Double Stacked Taco
- Chips and nacho cheese sauce
- Medium drink
McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal:
- McDouble or McChicken sandwich
- Four-piece Chicken McNuggets
- Small fries
- Small soft drink
Wendy’s $5 Biggie Bag:
- Junior Bacon Cheeseburger or Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Four-piece chicken nuggets
- Junior fries
- Small soft drink
Burger King’s $5 Your Way Meal:
- Whopper Junior, Chicken Junior, or Bacon Cheeseburger
- Fries
- Four-piece chicken nuggets
- Soft drink
Catherine Tan-Gillespie, KFC’s chief marketing and development officer, in a press release: “Combining KFC’s flavorful fried chicken with the bold, sweet heat of Mike’s Hot Honey just makes sense.
“Crispy, juicy, salty, spicy, sweet – it’s food alchemy that’s meant to be!”
New combo boxes are also coming to KFC, with a $25 Fan Favorites Box that includes four pieces of Mike’s Hot Honey-drizzled bone-in chicken, a 12-piece order of nuggets, Secret Recipe fries, four biscuits, and a choice of four sauces.
New tech is also coming to make your KFC experience easier.
The chain is bringing self-order kiosks to more than 1,000 locations and rolling out a staff app to simplify back-of-house operations.
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