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KFC's new 'chapter' features improved chicken, sauces, next-gen store design

To stand out in a crowded market and appeal to Gen Z, KFC is launching a global brand transformation that modernizes its menu with updated tenders, sauces and beverages, while introducing immersive restaurant designs and accelerated digital experiences.

Photo: KFC

June 15, 2026 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

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In an effort to break through the "sea of sameness" in the fast-food chicken market, KFC is embarking on a major brand transformation focused on evolving consumer habits and immersive digital experiences.

Christophe Poirier, chief concept officer for KFC. Photo: KFC

Christophe Poirier, chief concept officer for KFC, said the global brand initiative centers around three "buckets": updating the menu with modern chicken tenders, globalized sauces and a new beverage platform; creating highly engaging, "kinetic" restaurant designs to rival the distraction of smartphone scrolling and accelerating digital assets. Driven heavily by the shifting dining and snacking preferences of Gen Z consumers, the fast-food giant is launching its official rollout in the UK, aiming to disrupt itself and modernize the iconic brand while staying true to its original "finger lickin' good" DNA.

"An iconic brand like KFC, we are always, always making sure that we stay forever young," Poirier said in a video interview with QSRweb. "As the chicken king, we need to make sure that we keep our crown and we remain the leader. So we are constantly evolving our menu."

A new chapter

KFC will launch an improved menu of chicken tenders, an expanded line of boneless chicken options and sauces, and a new beverage platform.

"So on tenders, our tenders have to be the 'finger lickin' good' tenders. On sauces, they have to be the best craving sauces available on the market," Poirier said.

KFC's new global sauce "pantry" has a lineup of more than 20 offerings. A press release on the brand's new chapter said the sauces will range from "modern takes on classic recipes" to "internationally inspired yet familiar flavors" such as Chimichurri Ranch and Hot Honey Habanero.

The brand's Dunked menu features tenders, wings and sandwiches "drenched" in sauce. It's already available in Africa and Indiana.

KFC's KWENCH global beverage platform features Boba Refreshers, Krunch Shakes, Sparkling Lemonades and Iced Coffees already available in select UK and Ireland locations. They will become permanent menu items in Australia and Canada this year.

"The question is, how do you stand out?" Poirier said. "How do you remain the number one choice? And thanks to the legacy of our founder, he was an entrepreneur. He was constantly doing improvements in everything he was doing. It was an eternal quest for customer satisfaction. So, in fact, this is what we do. Our best shield to sameness is always to surprise, always innovate — always coming up with something new. It can be tenders, sauces, drinks, design, commercials. So, we have this eternal quest of giving something new and unexpected to the customers."

Poirier said founder Colonel Harlan Sanders did not invent fried chicken, but he delivered it with a secret recipe that makes the chicken juicy. The brand has continued that entrepreneurial mindset. "Yes, we have this global scale, we have this global footprint, we also have our DNA which remains the same — the secret recipe for the chicken — but we also give the freedom to the market to come with the local twist," he added.

KFC will roll out its new tenders and nine sauces in the UK and Ireland first, with Australia and the U.S. expected to follow.

KFC's new two-story design. The first will launch in Dubai in the fall. Photo: KFC

Next-gen design

KFC is also set to open restaurants designed for hospitality, not just efficiency. An open-concept design in McKinney, Texas, which will combine the brand's traditional heritage with modern energy, is expected to open later this summer.

A two-story restaurant will also open in Dubai in the fall and will be a fully immersive showcase of KFC's next-generation design.

The goal, Poirier said, is to keep consumers off their smartphones and immersed with the in-person dining experience.

There's also a new marketing featuring Colonel Sanders in the center of two KFC logos on a sign shaped like its signature chicken buckets.

"In an increasingly crowded category, we have a clear opportunity to set the standard for modern chicken in QSR," Scott Mezvinsky, CEO, KFC Global, said in a press release. "This next chapter brings new energy and expression to what makes us iconic, while doubling down on our chicken and reimagining how fans experience KFC around the world."

KFC operates more than 34,000 locations across more than 150 countries and is part of Yum Brands. It most recently reported same-store sales growth of 2%.

About Mandy Wolf Detwiler

Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the Pizzamarketplace.com and QSRweb.com editor for Connect Media. An award-winning journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and, yes, she can tell you where to find the best pizza slices in the country.

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