We tried Saucy, KFC’s new stand-alone chicken tender restaurant
KFC is opening the first of a new restaurant concept called Saucy! and they only sell chicken strips and sauces, plus a few sides and some unique drinks. We visited their one and only location in Orlando, Fla. during a media event to give them a try.
During our visit, we were able to try all of the foods and sauces and some of the drinks. We thought everything tasted great. The chicken tenders on their own were tasty and moist. All of the sauces were good without being overly spicy. We each had different favorites. If you’re looking for something really spicy, try the Hot Honey Watermelon Refresher. The one we sampled even smelled spicy. But it wasn’t so spicy that we didn’t enjoy it. It added just the right amount of kick. The coleslaw and bread were as you’d expect. The desserts and other drinks we tried were also great.
Here’s our video report and interviews:
(You can also watch on our YouTube channel.)
“Everyone is obsessed with sauce — more is more,” said KFC Chief New Concept Officer Christophe Poirier. “With Saucy, we’ve taken KFC’s famous original recipe and amplified it with a brand-new concept that lets consumers play with flavor. We’re sauce people, not math people, but we tried to calculate it and there seems to be over 4,000 different ways you could order at Saucy and have a different flavor experience every time.”
Menu at Saucy by KFC
At the heart of Saucy’s menu is its 11 sauces (11 to represent Kentucky Fried Chicken’s 11 herbs and spices in their original recipe), which customers can order individually or in a flight of four with their choice of tenders — all hand-breaded and fried (no grilled chicken here) in small batches as part of a made-to-order meal. Sauces and tenders can be paired with toasted Hawaiian rolls (presented as toast), crinkle-cut French fries, and coleslaw. Diners can also opt for an EZ Crispy Sandwich, Spicy Queso Crunch Sandwich, or various combos, including a three-piece tender combo with a toasted roll, fries, medium drink, and choice of one sauce for $7.99. Sweet treats include chocolate mousse cake or key lime cake in a can.
Sauce menu at Saucy
The 11 signature sauce choices are:
- Chimichurri Ranch
- Peri Peri Ranch
- Jalapeño Pesto Ranch
- Smokey Bacon Ranch
- Saucy Ranch
- Thai Sweet ‘N Spicy
- Sweet ‘N Saucy BBQ
- Saucy’s Sauce
- Spicy Mango Chutney
- Creole Honey Mustard
- Sweet Teriyaki
While Saucy is debuting with these 11 sauces, they said they envision limited-edition sauces, trend-inspired sauces, and sauces created in response to changing taste buds in the future.
Drink menu at Saucy
In addition to sauces, they sell a mix of classic and unique beverages, including:
- Passion Fruit + Orange + Guava Refresher
- Hot Honey Watermelon Refresher
- Peach-Mango Lemonade
- Peach-Mango Lemonade Freeze
- Blue Raspberry Freeze
- Tropical Black Tea
- Classic Iced Tea
Why Orlando?
Saucy’s pink building is designed with a modern look and feel. The drive-thru lane allows traditional traffic flow, while inside, diners can order at kiosks. You can also order in their dedicated app which offers 20 points of personalization. Saucy says they will also debut some live entertainment at some point in the future, too.
The restaurant features technology that helps their employees. A “digital twin” of the Saucy restaurant takes its real-world data and runs simulations to create proprietary algorithms that inform how to make tenders as fresh as possible.
KFC officials said Orlando was chosen as the perfect location for their first store thanks to its diverse demographic, and they chose this particular location in Orlando because of its proximity to the University of Central Florida. But they aren’t stopping here. They hope to open more locations all over. This first location was a former KFC, so you could see a KFC near you converted to a Saucy in the future.
Saucy by KFC location and hours in Orlando
Saucy! officially opens on Dec. 23, 2024 at 502 S Alafaya Trail, Orlando, Fla. They will be open at 10 a.m. every day and close at 2 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and at 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Learn more on the restaurant’s website.
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