A look at the new concept, what’s on the menu

On By Littum

It’s time to get fresh with a fresh take on a classic, according to KFC.

The fast food chicken joint is set to open the first location of its spinoff restaurant, Saucythis weekend.

The standalone concept will debut in Florida with customized offerings and an expanded selection of sauces and beverages. Styled with a pink color scheme and modern feel, Saucy will use some of the latest in industrial technology to create a smooth, streamlined experience, according to KFC.

The original location will be equipped with drive-thru lanes, kiosks and back-of-house technology that will use real-world data to reduce wait times and keep food stocked and fresh. KFC also plans to schedule programming at its opening location, like live entertainment, to encourage patrons to stay longer.

A website, saucy.kfc.comand app has already launched with a 20-point personalization interface, meaning KFC superfans can prepare before the grand opening.

Here’s what we know so far about Saucy by KFC.

What is Saucy by KFC and when does it open?

Saucy is a new small restaurant from KFC that, as the name suggests, focuses on sauces. With a limited menu of chicken tenders, a few sandwiches and a small handful of sides, the KFC spinoff brings new flavors to the table in the form of dips and nibbles.

With an array of 11 dipping sauces and a funky new drink menu, Saucy focuses on mixing, matching and customizing each customer’s experience.

The first location will open on Monday, December 23 at 502 S. Alafaya Trail in the Waterford Lakes neighborhood of Orlando, Florida. KFC has indicated plans to expand, but has yet to announce additional locations.

What food will be on the menu Saucy?

Saucy focuses on opportunities for patrons to customize each meal to their taste buds. Diners can choose a combo, choose a flight of sauces or mix and match sauces and sides to create the perfect meal. The basic menu offerings include:

  • Chicken tenders (which can be paired with a four sauce sampler)
  • Toasted Hawaiian Rolls
  • Crinkle cut fries
  • Coleslaw
  • EZ Crispy Sandwiches
  • Spicy Queso Crunch Sandwich
  • Chocolate mousse cake
  • Key lime cake

What are the 11 sauces available at KFC’S Saucy?

Saucy is all about, well, the sauces. Customers can choose from a lineup of eleven flavors inspired by KFC’s iconic 11 herbs and spices, including:

  • Chimichurri Ranch
  • Peri Peri Ranch
  • Jalapeno Pesto Ranch
  • Smokey Bacon Ranch
  • Thai Sweet ‘N Spicy
  • Sweet ‘N Saucy BBQ
  • Saucy sauce
  • Spicy Mango Chutney
  • Saucy Ranch
  • Creole honey mustard
  • Sweet Teriyaki

What drinks are on the menu at KFC’s Saucy?

  • Passion fruit + Orange + Guava Refreshing
  • Warm Honey Watermelon Refreshing
  • Peach-mango lemonade
  • Peach-Mango Lemonade Freeze
  • Blue raspberry frosting
  • Tropical black tea
  • Classic iced tea

Fast food chains take chances on small restaurants

KFC is not the first major fast food chain to invest in a spinoff this year.

In December 2023, McDonald’s announced its plans for CosMc’s, a small format concept themed after a retro space aesthetic and focusing on small bites and unique beverages.

With seven iced and lemonade flavors, four Galactic Boost energy drinks, 11 coffee and tea-based beverages, and five frappe flavors, along with the traditional slate of soft drinks and milkshakes, CosMc’s focus shifted to the beverage-based market to compete against other brands as Dutch Bros.

The food menu is a little more limited but just as unique, featuring a Spicy Queso Sandwich, a Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sandwich, Pretzel Bites, Savory Hash Brown Bites, a Snack Box and Filled Pastry Bites called McPops. There are also cookies, sundaes, McFlurries, ice cream and three traditional McMuffin options.

The first location opened in Bolingbrook, Illinois that month to great fanfare, but the rest of the locations opened in 2024, including six in Texas.

In its first month of operation, the Bolingbrook location reported that CosMc’s doubled total visits and tripled the number of visitors per square feet compared to an average McDonald’s.