The Aporia · A look inside KFC’s radically modern makeover of the Colonel’s classic recipe

A look inside KFC’s radically modern makeover of the Colonel’s classic recipe

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Fox News. (2026, September 26). A look inside KFC’s radically modern makeover of the Colonel’s classic recipe. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/26/us-news/kfc-opens-new-radically-different-restaurant-in-major-comeback-push/

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Quick Summary

KFC US President Catherine Tan-Gillespie discussed a new restaurant concept called Open House with Fox News Digital, which aims to modernize the 75-year-old fast-food chain while preserving its classic elements. The restaurant serves as a testing ground for how KFC can stay relevant in today’s market without losing its nostalgic appeal. Key features include Art Deco and mid-century modern design aesthetics combined with digital ordering technology and traditional table service, reflecting a balance between technological advancement and human interaction. The menu includes the original recipe fried chicken alongside new items like tenders, wings, sandwiches, wraps, and nuggets, as well as expanded breakfast and late-night offerings to test customer interest in these dayparts.

Written by AI on 2026-10-02, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

KFC has launched a comeback strategy in the U.S. fast-food market by opening an experimental concept store named Open House in McKinney, Texas on Thursday. The new KFC location aims to test innovative ideas while maintaining the brand's classic appeal. It offers unique menu items such as boba refreshers and milkshakes with crunchy toppings, alongside a broader selection of chicken tenders, dipping sauces, and sides like spicy pickles and fried green beans.

The Open House restaurant features modern amenities including touch-screen kiosks for ordering, mobile pickup stations, two drive-thru lanes, and an interior layout designed to encourage customers to stay longer. Additionally, it includes a merchandise section and a photo booth. KFC's U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie emphasized that the new format blends nostalgic elements with modern touches, reflecting how founder Colonel Harland Sanders might design a restaurant today if he were starting from scratch.

The initiative comes as KFC faces growing competition in the American market, particularly from rivals like Raising Cane’s. McKinney was chosen due to its fast-growing and competitive dining scene, providing both existing customers and potential new ones with an inviting and contemporary experience.

Written for “KFC Restaurant Makeover” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.

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How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

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Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

2 of 29 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Other

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-09-26 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

New York Post · 15411 article(s) · 35 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 35 correction(s)

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All 376 articles by Fox News →

Topics

Fox News Digital KFC Kentucky Fried McKinney Open House

Subjects

KFC ORG · 10× Tan-Gillespie PERSON · 8× Open House ORG · 4× McKinney PERSON · 2× American NORP · 1× Americans NORP · 1× Catherine Tan-Gillespie PERSON · 1× Colonel Harland Sanders PERSON · 1× Fox News Digital ORG · 1× Kentucky Fried ORG · 1×

Narrative

At the same time, the restaurant features lobby hosts, table service, booths and outdoor dining designed to encourage customers to gather. “For me, the philosophy is that we should be digital where it’s helpful, but human where it matters,” Tan-Gillespie said.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-26

🔮 The restaurant, dubbed Open House, serves as a testing ground for how the 75-year-old fast-food chain that Colonel Harland Sanders founded might modernize without abandoning the things that made it famous.

2026-09-26 · New York Post

A look inside KFC’s radically modern makeover of the Colonel’s classic recipe · assertive framing

Claims (29 extracted, 2 hedged)

“This is the Kentucky Fried comeback made real in one restaurant,” KFC US President Catherine Tan-Gillespie told Fox News Digital. asserted

Gillespie → make → Digital

The restaurant, dubbed Open House, serves as a testing ground for how the 75-year-old fast-food chain that Colonel Harland Sanders founded might modernize without abandoning the things that made it famous. uncertain

it → dub → things

KFC’s challenge isn’t necessarily getting Americans to remember the brand. asserted

Americans → get → brand

It’s getting them to think about it when deciding what to eat today. asserted

them → get → what

“There is a massive love for this American icon,” Tan-Gillespie said. asserted

Gillespie → be → icon

But in the US, she added, “we tend to be thought about in people’s memories. asserted

we → add → memories

We’re not actually being considered in eating moments of today.” asserted

We → consider → today

That tension between nostalgia and relevance helped shape Open House. asserted

tension → shape → House

In developing the restaurant, KFC started with a question. asserted

KFC → develop → question

“We sat back and said, you know, if the Colonel were building a restaurant from scratch today, what would this look like?” Tan-Gillespie said. asserted

Gillespie → sit → what

The answer incorporates Art Deco and mid-century modern influences alongside large glass windows, digital ordering and drive-thru technology. asserted

answer → incorporate → windows

Gillespie → feature → me

Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. asserted

Report → start → news

The menu follows a similar philosophy: Hold onto KFC’s most recognizable products while experimenting with how customers want to eat chicken now, Tan-Gillespie said. asserted

Gillespie → follow → chicken

Buckets and the chain’s original recipe remain central, but Open House expands into tenders, wings, sandwiches, wraps and nuggets, along with new sauces, drinks, snacks, sweets and sides. asserted

House → remain → sauces

Open House is scheduled to operate from 6 a.m. to midnight, giving KFC an opportunity to test breakfast and late-night occasions that traditionally haven’t been a major part of its US business. asserted

that → schedule → business

“We will see if those shoulder day parts work commercially for us and work for the guests, work for our team members,” Tan-Gillespie said. asserted

Gillespie → see → members

“If they don’t, we’ll cut them back. asserted

we → do → them

And if they do, then we can look to scale them nationally.” asserted

we → do → them

KFC also chose McKinney with scalability in mind. asserted

KFC → choose → mind

Tan-Gillespie described the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a fast-growing and competitive restaurant market, while McKinney provides a mix of existing KFC customers and consumers the chain hopes to attract. asserted

chain → describe → consumers

The suburban setting also gives KFC a test that could potentially translate to similar markets elsewhere. uncertain

that → give → markets

But even as KFC experiments with new formats, flavors, technology and dayparts, Tan-Gillespie said some pieces of the brand aren’t up for reinvention. asserted

pieces → experiment → reinvention

“Buckets of original recipe fried chicken should not change,” she said. asserted

she → fry → chicken

“I think the things that should change is making sure that we expand into the ways that customers want to eat fried chicken today.” asserted

customers → think → chicken

And what would Sanders make of that balance between the KFC he created and the one the company is trying to build? asserted

company → make → KFC

“I think he would feel really proud, actually,” Tan-Gillespie said. asserted

Gillespie → think → ?

“I think he would say, ‘This feels like me. asserted

This → think → me

This feels like what I was trying to do.’ asserted

I → feel → what