Introducing KFC eleven: Salads welcome, but Colonel Sanders isn’t allowed

KFC is attempting to go from fast food to fast casual with a new upscale concept called KFC eleven, aimed at a younger, more stylish millennial set. The fried chicken chain is introducing salads, flat bread sandwiches and more to a test location in Louisville, Ky., reported Business First.

The eleven in the name is a nod to the 11 herbs and spices used to cook the Colonel’s original recipe, but Colonel Sanders won’t be making an appearance. The company specifically left him out of the new concept.

“You won’t find the colonel on the marquee or signage,� KFC President John Cywinski told USA Today, “but you’ll find more abstract references to our heritage.�

In addition to the flat-bread sandwiches and fresh salads, the brand also plans on serving smoothies and rice bowls. There are no plans to serve alcoholic beverages like the brand’s KFC Route 25 in Japan, which has a full whiskey bar.

The design will be more modern than its predecessors with wood and brick. The original KFC red and white stripes will be replaced with softer tones.

The first test location is slated to open Aug. 5. A second location is already in the works in the Louisville area, where the chain’s headquarters is located. If successful, the concept could make its way to other markets.

KFC is far from the first fast-food chain to reinvent itself with healthier menu options and cozier, contemporary locations. Wendy’s added fireplaces and lounge-style faux leather chairs to 80 of its locations this year, and McDonald’s locations in Canada spent $1 billion to remodel 1,400 locations with fireplaces, plasma televisions and leather armchairs in 2011.

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