KFC is planning an unprecedented restaurant makeover - here's a sneak peek
The remodeled location is immediately different than a traditional KFC, with bold white stripes and a roof that resembles a popped top of a bucket of chicken, intended to grab the attention of hungry drivers.
Inside, a light shaped like a bucket immediately grabs your attention — a bucket chandelier of sorts. The light hangs over a large circular table, inspired by Colonel Sanders' first restaurant, where all customers sat around a single table, family style.
The Colonel is everywhere at the remodeled location — especially the back wall, covered in photos of Sanders. Variations on the Sanders-themed red wall will be a included in each remodeled location.
Little touches of Colonel Sanders appear throughout the location. KFC's chief development officer, Brian Cahoe, says the redesign and KFC's Colonel Sanders-centric ad campaign go hand-in-hand in revamping the brand's image and bringing customers back to KFC.
Some Sanders-inspired elements are lighthearted nods to KFC's long history. The brand has both a museum and extensive archives in Louisville that were referenced for inspiration in the redesign and Sanders-centric marketing.
Others are more direct references to some of KFC's recent problems. Internally at KFC, Colonel Sanders represents high-quality chicken and "doing things the hard way" — something the redesign attempts to spell out to customers.
In April, KFC announced it was undergoing "Re-Colonelization," which it describes as a public recommitment to quality involving national employee retraining and a new satisfaction guarantee. Remodeled locations have a framed "Real Meal Guarantee," plus a KFC flag signed by employees.
Blackboards tell customers where the chicken comes from and identifies the chef who is cooking the chicken that day, in an attempt to combat negative stereotypes about KFC's "Franken-chicken."
Behind the scenes, the emphasis on Re-Colonelization continues. The chain has spent more than 100,000 worker-hours retraining more than 20,000 employees.
With more focus on food quality, executives say employees feel increasingly proud to work at KFC — a feeling the new kitchen decorations attempt to tap into.
The focus on quality food continues in the drive-thru, with a sign promising "Real Meals To Go."
The redesign is intended to be adaptable, depending on restaurants' size, location, customer flow, and more. At the Louisville location, for example, a neighboring car wash allowed KFC to paint "Real Meals To Go" on a blank white wall, to maintain the clean red-and-white color coordination.
It takes just 8 days for a KFC location to transform from its old design (as shown here) to its remodeled look — and, most restaurants keep the drive-thru open throughout the process. KFC says this ease, plus the promise of reduced employee turnover and rising sales, has made the redesign an easy sell for franchisees. As a result, you can expect your local KFC will be looking very different, very soon.
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