In a time when some restaurants are thriving and others are closing, KFC is playing the long game and looking to slowly transform its entire brand across the board.
According to Nation’s Restaurant News, KFC U.S. President Tarun Lal says a “brand transformation” is underway, which is designed to grow both sales and transactions.
Even though chicken is the most-consumed protein in America, according to Statista.com, KFC has had three negative quarters — almost a year — of declining revenue.
Now, it looks like KFC’s parent company, Yum!, is seeing what lies ahead and trying to steer the ship away from the iceberg, if you will.
KFC locations are going to start improving the tools that are given to their employees, to help them focus on the customer experience more.
Lal says, “The biggest enabler is team member experience. If we can provide team members with the right tools, they are able to deliver the right experience.”
“The foundation is investing in the right training tools and investing in new tech. Shave hours off their time back of house,” he explains. “That enables them to focus on accuracy and taste and to help guests have a better experience.”
Another part of the KFC brand transformation is a new menu called KFC Saucy. Saucy features chicken tenders and 11 sauce choices, as well as 11 beverage choices — a nod to KFC’s Original Recipe, which contains 11 herbs and spices.
Reading between the lines, it appears as if KFC feels like the customer experience and personal human interaction have been sagging in its restaurants, and management sees the issue and are taking steps to solve it.
Between that and them taking a risk by innovating and updating their menu, nobody can say KFC is going down without a fight.
24 Country Stars With Their Own Bars + Restaurants
Of all of the side hustles country artists could partake in, opening a bar or restaurant is the most fitting — and very common. After all, many of these stars got their start on a barstool, tip jar nearby, playing their music for anyone who would listen.
These places feel like home for many of these singers. Over the years, several artists have gotten into the bar or restaurant game, and for a select few, brands have turned into franchises with several locations and/or concepts — we’re looking at you, Jimmy Buffett!
Let’s take a look at the country star food and entertainment venues that have opened over the years.
Gallery Credit: Jess