News

KFC UK puts 3K customers in the kitchen for a day

March 14, 2019

From in-restaurant art making events to food-and-wine pairing classes, many brands are working interactive customer experiences into operations, but few QSRs have stepped into that arena. But in the U.K., KFC is launching an event later this month that may help reverse that trend. 

At a third of its U.K. stores, KFC will give customers a one-day opportunity to not only see how the chicken is made, but also make some themselves by taking a turn at frying and grilling pieces of poultry in its restaurants' kitchens, according to the British newspaper, The Sun. 

The Open Kitchen event on March 30, which requires a ticket costing about $6.60, will give KFC fans a chance to learn how to hand-bread chicken, crispy fry it and even build a  KFC burger. But just because we know you're asking, these chicken-frying fans for a day will not learn the ingredients of the "Colonel's 11 herbs and spices."

The brand told The Sun that it will dispense 3,000 tickets for 300 stores events, or enough for about 10 people to get into the behind-the-scenes action at each store. A similar event two years back, at just 100 stores, sold out in 30 minutes.

Each chef-for-a-day customer also gets a meal worth about $9 during the event, while KFC's Open Kitchen event profits will go to the KFC Foundation to benefit local causes support children.