The news: KFC will use a new restaurant concept, Open House, as a testing ground for new menu items and offerings to help broaden its appeal, the company said in a press release. The store is located in McKinney, Texas, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth.

The details: KFC is using Open House to test initiatives including breakfast, late-night, and table service. Other experiments include an “elevated beverage experience” featuring on-trend drinks like lemonades, boba refreshers, and Krunch shakes, and new menu items such as fried green beans, spicy pickles, and mini cronuts.

Open House seats 52 guests and has dual drive-thru lanes and a dedicated mobile pick-up lane. The restaurant also has a photo booth and a “swag bar” with exclusive KFC-branded merch.

The strategy: These initiatives fit with KFC’s broader plan to reengage customers by serving “the most craveable food” in ways that correspond with how diners prefer to eat. While chicken remains the cornerstone of its menu, KFC is increasing customization and flavor options to suit customers’ shifting tastes and desire for flexibility.

Pushing into other dayparts could help KFC capture more occasions—particularly as competitors like Wendy’s pull back—while capitalizing on diners’ frequent desire to indulge in a beverage or sweet treat.

Open House also gives KFC a chance to test the right balance between technology and human-led hospitality. While it’s unlikely the chain will roll out table service at its over 3,500 US locations, the experiment could pave the way for investments in worker training or even store remodels that deliver an elevated, consistent customer experience.

Implications for QSRs: KFC’s Open House experiments point to the rising expectations diners have for fast-food brands as inflation and other cost-of-living pressures make eating out more of a luxury. While not every initiative will prove successful or scalable, having a place to test changes that are both large—like table service—and small—like new menu items—will give KFC more insight into what customers value most.

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