The KFC Open House new menu brings more than fried chicken to the table, adding breakfast, specialty drinks, new sauces, customizable chicken, upgraded sides, and table service. The experimental KFC location opened in McKinney, Texas, on September 26, 2026, and is designed to test which new ideas could eventually appear at other KFC restaurants.
What Is KFC Open House?
KFC Open House is a new test restaurant created to explore how the chain could change its menu and restaurant experience. Located at 8751 El Dorado Parkway in McKinney, Texas, the 3,400-square-foot location seats about 52 people and operates from 6 a.m. to midnight.
Unlike a typical KFC, Open House is being used as a real-world testing ground. The company plans to study customer feedback, sales and how easily restaurant employees can prepare the new offerings before deciding which ideas deserve wider testing.
What’s on the KFC Open House New Menu?
The menu keeps KFC’s familiar fried chicken at the center while adding more ways to customize a meal.
Customers can order Original Recipe chicken, wings, tenders, nuggets, sandwiches and other familiar items. One of the biggest changes is the expanded sauce selection. Options include Kentucky BBQ, Buffalo and Ranch, along with Jalapeño Ranch, Sweet Heat Ranch and Garlic Parmesan. Chicken and fries can also be served with sauce drizzled directly over them instead of on the side.
That gives customers more control over the flavor without completely changing what KFC is known for.
KFC isn’t the only fast-food chain experimenting with new menu ideas and international flavors. If you’re interested in how another major chain brings foods from different countries to U.S. customers, read our guide to the McDonald’s Global Favorites Menu.
KFC Open House Breakfast Menu
Breakfast is one of the biggest new additions because KFC is traditionally associated with lunch and dinner.
The Open House breakfast menu includes breakfast sandwiches, Original Recipe tenders, Hashbrown Sticks, Mini Cronuts, freshly brewed coffee and iced lattes. The idea is to give customers a reason to visit KFC earlier in the day instead of waiting until lunchtime.
The breakfast offering also shows how KFC is testing whether fried chicken can fit naturally into a morning meal.
New Drinks Include Boba and Iced Lattes
Another noticeable change is the beverage selection. Instead of relying mainly on traditional fountain drinks, Open House offers flavored lemonades, boba refreshers, iced lattes and Krunch Shakes.
The wider drink menu could also appeal to people who want a snack or beverage rather than a full chicken meal. This is part of KFC’s broader effort to create more reasons for customers to visit throughout the day.
New Sides and Flavor Options
KFC Open House also gives its side dishes more attention. Alongside familiar choices such as mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits and fries, the location is testing items including Fried Green Beans and Spicy Pickles.
The concept is not simply about adding more food. It is about giving customers different combinations and flavors while keeping recognizable KFC staples available.
What Customers Can Expect at KFC Open House
Customers visiting KFC Open House can expect a mix of familiar food and new choices rather than a completely different KFC. The menu still centers on fried chicken, but visitors can experiment with different sauces, sides and drinks. Breakfast also gives the restaurant a new role during the morning hours. KFC also offers a more flexible dining experience. Customers can use self-order kiosks, table service, drive-thru lanes, or a dedicated pickup area. As a test location, the restaurant may change based on customer feedback.
What Makes the Open House Restaurant Different?
The restaurant itself is part of the experiment. Open House combines self-order kiosks and digital menu boards with a more traditional hospitality approach.
Customers can receive table service, while the restaurant also has dual drive-thru lanes, a dedicated mobile pickup lane and an area for delivery drivers. Indoor, outdoor and breezeway seating are available, along with a Celebration Booth and a KFC merchandise area.
This combination of technology and personal service is one of the more unusual aspects of the concept.
Will the New KFC Menu Come Nationwide?
Not necessarily. KFC has described Open House as a place to learn what works before expanding successful ideas to more restaurants. That means some menu items or service features may eventually spread, while others could remain limited to the test location.
For now, the KFC Open House new menu is best viewed as an experiment in what the fast-food chain could look like next. It keeps the Original Recipe chicken that customers already recognize but surrounds it with breakfast, specialty drinks, new sauces, different sides and a more restaurant-style experience.