KFC Opens a Texas Restaurant to Test Ideas for Reclaiming Its Fried Chicken Crown
The format adds breakfast, premium drinks and table service as KFC tests new menu items, technology and operations for its turnaround plan.
- KFC opens Open House in McKinney, Texas, on Saturday, September 26, 2026, a 3,400-square-foot test lab designed to showcase expanded dayparts, table service, and elevated beverages across its U.S. operations.
- Stagnant U.S. sales prompted the strategy as competitors like Chick-fil-A and Popeyes expanded rapidly. KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie said the brand must break out of 'hazy nostalgia' to reframe consumer expectations.
- Breakfast—A U.S. first for KFC—debuts at Open House alongside premium beverages like iced lattes and boba refreshers. The menu also expands tender options and sauces while keeping Original Recipe chicken at the core.
- Staff focus on hospitality while technology automates ordering via kiosks and table service. KFC Chief Concept Officer Christophe Poirier said the goal is to create a 'luxury retailer' experience without stressful lines.
- KFC will use this McKinney test lab to identify ideas for its 3,500+ U.S. restaurants. A public celebration is scheduled for Sunday, September 27, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CT.
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KFC opens a Texas restaurant to test ideas for reclaiming its fried chicken crown - WXXV News 25
AP Photo/ LM OteroBy DEE-ANN DURBIN KFC has been taking a licking from fried chicken rivals like Raising Cane’s, but the global fast-food chain has a plan to return to the top of the U.S. pecking order. The Kentucky-born brand opened a new restaurant in McKinney, Texas, on Thursday to serve as a test lab in its home market. Called...
KFC unveils radically different restaurant in major comeback push - NEW YORK TIMES POST
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A new KFC restaurant in McKinney, Texas, is about much more than debuting a new design. “This is the Kentucky Fried comeback made real in one restaurant,” KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie told Fox News Digital. The restaurant, dubbed Open House, serves as a testing ground for [...]
KFC unveils radically different restaurant in major comeback push
KFC's new Open House restaurant in McKinney, Texas, blends art deco design, digital ordering and table service to test breakfast and late-night dining that could shape future locations across America.
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