KFC has opened a new restaurant in McKinney, Texas, designed to test how the 75-year-old chain can modernize its dining experience without abandoning its core identity. KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie described the location, dubbed Open House, as the physical realization of the brand's comeback strategy.
The primary challenge facing the company is not a lack of brand recognition, but rather failing to remain relevant in consumers' daily meal decisions. Tan-Gillespie noted that while there is significant affection for the American icon, the brand often remains in customers' memories rather than being considered during actual eating moments. This tension between nostalgia and current relevance guided the development of the Open House concept.
To determine the new direction, KFC leadership asked what a restaurant built from scratch by founder Colonel Harland Sanders might look like today. The resulting design blends Art Deco and mid-century modern influences with large glass windows. Technology plays a key role through digital ordering and drive-thru systems, but the space also emphasizes human interaction with lobby hosts, table service, booths, and outdoor dining areas. Tan-Gillespie summarized this approach as being digital where helpful but human where it matters.
The menu at Open House reflects a similar balance between preservation and experimentation. Buckets of original recipe fried chicken remain central to the offering, but the chain is expanding its product lines to include tenders, wings, sandwiches, wraps, and nuggets. New sauces, drinks, snacks, sweets, and sides are also part of the test. Tan-Gillespie stated that while recognizable products must stay consistent, KFC needs to expand into ways customers currently prefer to eat fried chicken.
Operational hours are also subject to testing. The restaurant is scheduled to operate from 6 a.m. to midnight, allowing KFC to evaluate breakfast and late-night service periods that have traditionally not been major parts of its U.S. business. Tan-Gillespie said the company will assess whether these shoulder dayparts work commercially for guests and team members. If they do not perform well, the chain will cut them back; if they do, KFC may look to scale them nationally.
The selection of McKinney was strategic. Tan-Gillespie identified the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a fast-growing and competitive restaurant market. The suburban location offers a mix of existing KFC customers and new consumers the chain hopes to attract. This setting provides a test case that could potentially translate to similar markets elsewhere.
Despite the experiments with format, flavors, and technology, certain aspects of the brand are off-limits for change. Tan-Gillespie insisted that buckets of original recipe fried chicken should not change. She believes Colonel Sanders would feel proud of the balance between the original vision and modern adaptations, stating he would feel that the new approach reflects his original intent for today's market.