Get ready to indulge in a new twist on a well-loved favorite as KFC introduces its latest venture.

The beloved fried chicken chain plans to unveil the inaugural outlet of its new restaurant concept, Saucy, this coming weekend.

This standalone eatery will open its doors in Florida, featuring customizable chicken tenders along with a wider variety of sauces and drinks. The restaurant boasts a contemporary design highlighted by a vibrant pink color scheme, and aims to harness cutting-edge technology to ensure a seamless dining experience, as reported by KFC.

The first outlet will include drive-thru options, self-service kiosks, and advanced kitchen technology that uses real-time data to minimize wait times and keep ingredients fresh. To create an enjoyable ambiance, KFC intends to offer live entertainment to encourage customers to linger.

A dedicated website, saucy.kfc.com, and app are now available, complete with a 20-point personalization feature, allowing loyal KFC fans to prepare ahead of the grand opening.

Let’s take a closer look at what we know about Saucy by KFC.

What is Saucy by KFC, and when will it open?

Saucy represents a fresh restaurant concept from KFC, focusing primarily on diverse sauces, as its name implies. The menu is straightforward, offering chicken tenders, a selection of sandwiches, and a few side dishes, all with an emphasis on introducing new flavor combinations through various dipping and drinking options.

Patrons can choose from 11 different dipping sauces along with an innovative drink menu, taking customization to the next level for an individualized dining experience.

The grand opening is set for Friday, December 20, at 502 S. Alafaya Trail in the Waterford Lakes area of Orlando, Florida. While KFC has announced plans for expansion, the specific future locations have not yet been disclosed.

What menu items can you expect at Saucy?

Saucy emphasizes personalization in meal selections, allowing customers to customize their meals to suit their tastes. Diners can opt for a meal combo, select a variety of sauces, or mix additional sides for a tailored dining experience. The primary menu items consist of:

• Chicken tenders (which can be paired with a flight of four sauces)
• Toasted Hawaiian rolls
• Crinkle cut fries
• Coleslaw
• EZ Crispy Sandwich
• Spicy Queso Crunch Sandwich
• Chocolate mousse cake
• Key lime cake

What 11 sauces can be found at KFC’s Saucy?

Saucy is truly sauce-centric, featuring a lineup of 11 unique flavors inspired by KFC’s prized blend of 11 herbs and spices, including:

• Chimichurri Ranch
• Peri Peri Ranch
• Jalapeno Pesto Ranch
• Smokey Bacon Ranch
• Thai Sweet ‘N Spicy
• Sweet ‘N Saucy BBQ
• Saucy’s Sauce
• Spicy Mango Chutney
• Saucy Ranch
• Creole Honey Mustard
• Sweet Teriyaki

What beverages will KFC’s Saucy offer?

• Passion Fruit + Orange + Guava Refresher
• Hot Honey Watermelon Refresher
• Peach-Mango Lemonade
• Peach-Mango Lemonade Freeze
• Blue Raspberry Freeze
• Tropical Black Tea
• Classic Iced Tea

Fast Food Chains Explore Small-Scale Restaurant Concepts

KFC isn’t the only prominent fast-food brand venturing into new spinoff ideas this year.

In December 2023, McDonald’s shared its vision for CosMc’s, a smaller restaurant concept inspired by a vintage space theme, focusing on finger foods and innovative drinks.

CosMc’s boasts an array of drink options including seven iced tea and lemonade varieties, four Galactic Boost energy drinks, 11 coffee and tea-based selections, and five frappe choices, alongside the usual assortment of soft drinks and milkshakes. This shift aims to capture the beverage market and compete with brands like Dutch Bros.

The menu features a more limited but distinct selection of food items such as a Spicy Queso Sandwich, a Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sandwich, Pretzel Bites, Savory Hash Brown Bites, a snack box, and stuffed pastries known as McPops. Additionally, there are desserts including cookies, sundaes, McFlurries, ice cream, and three classic McMuffin options.

The inaugural location launched in Bolingbrook, Illinois, in the same month with much excitement. Additional branches opened up in 2024, including six new establishments in Texas.

In its first month, the Bolingbrook site reported that CosMc’s doubled overall visits and tripled the number of visitors per square foot compared to a standard McDonald’s.