You’ve all seen them before — concept stores that pop up all over the place, doing their best to challenge the public’s perception and drag the brand kicking and screaming into a digital future. That’s the idea, anyway. KFC Africa is looking to do something similar, having just opened its doors to what the chicken seller calls a “groundbreaking KFC concept store” found in Joburg’s Play Braamfontein precinct at 73 Juta Street.
Specifically, KFC reckons its first-of-its-kind concept store is a vision of what a futuristic KFC store should look like. “It will pioneer new concepts in real-time and innovate in all areas: food, fashion, customer service, team member experience, tech, operations, development, sustainability and design,” says the company.
Kentucky Fried Chic
That’s a little vague. How exactly does it innovate? Well, aside from throwing some much-needed makeup at the walls, it’s reinvigorating its sit-down strategy by expanding seating and incorporating an open-kitchen layout so that customers can see how the sausage chicken is made. That’s… cool, we guess? We wouldn’t exactly call rearranging a couple of chairs and tables innovative. We’d call it common sense.
But maybe we just don’t get it. After all, we’re in the tech business, not the restaurant business. Fortunately, KFC hasn’t disappointed (yet) on that front. The concept store will be the first KFC to offer VR (you thought we were going to say AI, weren’t you?) to customers while they wait. KFC says customers can “compete in a custom KFC virtual reality (VR) gaming experience on a live leaderboard for KFC vouchers.”
What that looks like exactly, we’re not sure. We know it’ll involve players stepping “into the KFC world” and taking on three levels of varying difficulty where “players need to catch or avoid elements in building our signature bucket, burger and Krusher products.”
Oh, and the store has a merch section born out of a collaboration with local designer Mzukisi Mbane of Imprint ZA. KFC doesn’t want you to think this is some common clothes store, though. It’s brought a “virtual mirror” on board that’ll let customers digitally try on the items before picking them up. Why? Because… it’s the future, silly.
Other technical improvements include free and fast Wi-Fi, “soundproof charge-up areas” and a crowd-sourced Spotify playlist.
“At KFC we are obsessed with providing an unparalleled dining experience and all innovation is in pursuit of that promise to our customers,” says KFC Chief Marketing Officer Grant Macpherson. “Innovation is about being brave enough to push the boundaries, test new concepts and getting real-time feedback. It’s also about having the agility to cater to new ordering behaviours and constantly questioning how and why we do the things we do. It’s not only about meeting our customers where they are, but about bringing them new and exciting experiences, tastes and collaborations, and of course pushing the envelope in terms of our flavours.”
Babe, wake up. KFC Zinger Sauce is back
As invested in KFC’s tech-related improvements as we are, we can’t deny the concept store’s new food items didn’t have us drooling at the thought of them. Head over there, and you’ll find Cola dunked and sticky Asian wings, the Double Mexican Crunch burger, Rainbow Slaw Burger, new dips, Chachos, and a bunch of new Krushers you wouldn’t find elsewhere.
Perhaps the most important of the new additions is the selling of the brand’s Zinger and Colonel sauce — which can only be found in-store and cannot be purchased online. Believe us, we’ve tried. At least now we don’t have to wait for Comic-Con Africa to stock up.
For now, Kentucky Fried Chicken is limiting its concept store operating from Sunday to Thursday from 6 AM to 10 PM, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 AM to 11 PM. Tt plans to turn the store into a 24-hour location. Get it while it’s hot.
UPDATE 1 Feb: Updated opening times added.