It’s is finger licking good as KFC launches new concept store in Braam
Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
A well known artist I was chatting to while we were discussing his art and art practice at a Braamfontein based digital technology hub in December last year remarked that since Braam’s Playground has become popular big brands are also moving in. This move, he emphasized might be good for such brands, but existing restaurants will face a serious challenge when it comes to serving food, reasonably priced quality food.
He spoke in the context of the developments bellow the Playground Weekend Market building, where leading chicken brand KFC had its signs up, suggesting that they were opening yet another KFC in Braam, in addition to an existing shop in the same area.
“Given a choice of where to eat, looking at my budget, and certain many other people who friend the area, between eating in the other restaurants of KFC, I would choose KFC,” he declared.
Now my friend you can now eat at KFC in Playground as this international brand, that has been operating in South Africa for 72 years, has not only launched a new store in PlayBraafontein precinct, but a super cool digitally-savvy store that has an art cool. It is a concept store, the first store of its kind of the African continent.
And to make this an attractive eatery, the menu is supper cool to, and the fact that it is digital savvy, can just attract its target market –the hippy and cool kids that patronize this area and making it a cool place with the young and happen, especially students from the University of the Witwatersrand, and other colleges that are found in this area.
“Launching this concept store here, whose menu will keep on changing, depending on the feedback we will get from our key customers is in line with the new brand strategy for KFC. When KFC was launched in South Africa in 1971, parents would have been the ones that recommended the store to their young children. But with regards to this new market repositioning, the brand is aimed and young people, and launching this first concept store in this area, is in line with the brand’s strategy to attract the yo8ng future market. And off course yes, we will continue to cater for all market segments, but the young are our future market segment,” Akhona Qengqe KFC General Manager told CITYYLIFE/ARTS in an interview on the sidelines of the launch event yesterday, Tuesday, January 30, 2024 in Braam.
Indeed this concept store that has seen the brand collaborate for months with leading brains in consumer behavior and designers, seems to be posed to be a congregating of young crowds as they enjoy an entire new menu to what they may have been used to in the rest of the KFC stores. I and other media colleagues, were yesterday treated to an enticing selection of food items and drinks. AS the hungry colleagues at launch time tucked at what was offered during the launch, the only complaints once could hear from the young influencer type media people was there their stomachs were full and no longer had space to take more food.
But this place will offer more than food as it is geared to be a model for other stores that the brand will launch in more places in consistent with its new brand position strategy.
Therefore the KFC Play Braam at 73 Juta Street will serve as both a unique retail space and an innovation hub for the brand. It will pioneer new concepts in real time and innovate in all areas: food, fashion, customer service, team member experience, tech, operations, development, sustainability and design.
A fashion angle is Mzukisi Mbane of Imprint ZA in creating a capsule range with patterns and colours that capture the vibrant spirit of the KFC brand.
The restaurant interior design also includes collaborative pieces with local designers and creatives including Yay Abe, Karabo Poppy and Damn Vandal.
Essentially yesterday marked the opening of the groundbreaking KFC concept store in Johannesburg’s renowned Play Braamfontein precinct. This is indeed KFC’s latest move to remain at the forefront of innovation and connected with the consumer of today and tomorrow, the company says. KFC Play Braam at 73 Juta Street will serve as both a unique retail space and an innovation hub for the brand. It will pioneer new concepts in real time and innovate in all areas: food, fashion, customer service, team member experience, tech, operations, development, sustainability and design.
“It’s about revolutionising the speed and agility with which we continue to adapt to our consumers’ ever-changing needs, evolving our brand to meet our consumers where they are, says KFC Chief Marketing Officer Grant Macpherson. “We’re the largest quick-service restaurant brand on the continent with the youngest population in the world, so the onus is on us not only to remain at the forefront of food and retail trends but to lead them. KFC at Play Braam is about never-before-tasted flavours and never-before-seen fashion, digital experiences and gaming. This is the new original.”
Innovative flavours and digital first
The concept store has an exclusive new menu featuring the likes of Cola Dunked Wings, the Chilli Lime Burger, Hot and Spicy Chachos (like nachos) and a variety of new Krushers, including the Pineapple Mojito Sparkling Krusher. KFC’s signature Colonel and Zinger bottled sauces are available for purchase so fans can take home a bottle of their favourites.
The menu, featuring 100% digital graphics and display content, is the star of a show that also includes cashless digital kiosks with ordering in 11 official languages and unlimited Wi-Fi and internet access. South Africa’s first crowd sourced playlist on Spotify allows customers to contribute song suggestions and personalise their in-restaurant experience.
Customers can digitally try on exclusive merchandise from a collab range with award-winning local designer Mzukisi Mbane of Imprint ZA and compete in a custom KFC virtual reality (VR) gaming experience on a live leaderboard for KFC vouchers.
“It’s where innovation and tech meet food, fashion and gaming to create an unparalleled customer experience,” says Macpherson. “It’s The Original you love but deliciously different. It’s a concept store that not only bends the rules of finger lickin’ good but brings the same energy to the freshest collabs and reality-changing VR experiences.”
Appealing restaurant design
More seating is available more than in KFC’s standard restaurant formats so customers can linger longer as they feast on their finger lickin’ favourites. Another first: the open kitchen invites customers to witness the preparation of freshly made products.
“The KFC Play Braam team has been intentional about creating a space that combines cutting-edge technology and youth-centred KFC team members. With Lobby Hosts and table service, the concept store has enabled KFC team members to turn their focus from fulfilling orders to facilitating a superior dining experience by directly engaging with customers. KFC team members will also have soundproof charge-up areas and digital comms platforms, as well as a separate delivery and pickup zone. All of this will help ensure we land an outstanding team member and customer experience,” the brand says.
“At KFC we are obsessed with providing an unparalleled dining experience and all innovation is in pursuit of that promise to our customers,” says Macpherson. “Innovation is about being brave enough to push the boundaries, test new concepts and getting real-time feedback. It’s also about having the agility to cater to new ordering behaviours and constantly questioning how and why we do the things we do. It’s not only about meeting our customers where they are, but about bringing them new and exciting experiences, tastes and collaborations, and of course pushing the envelope in terms of our flavours.”
About KFC Africa
KFC has been in South Africa for over 52 years and has more than 1300 stores across the continent. The first KFC restaurant in South Africa opened in 1971 in Orange Grove, Johannesburg. KFC is the leading quick-service restaurant brand in South Africa with just under a third of market share, according to Brand Image Tracker. KFC serves more than 20 million customers a month and we work hard to ensure that no matter which of our restaurants they walk into, they will get that distinctive KFC flavour and have a great experience. KFC’s Original Recipe® Chicken was first made by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1939when he perfected his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices at his restaurant in Kentucky. Today, KFC is the world’s most popular chicken restaurant, still preparing our chicken with the Colonel’s secret recipe to his exact standards. Every KFC restaurant follows the same global processes and procedures to ensure that our customers get great-tasting food, every time.
What you need to know about KFC at Play Braam
• What is the KFC at Play Braam concept store all about?
KFC Africa has launched its first ever concept store! KFC at Play Braam will be a permanent feature in the heart of Braam and includes exclusive menu items, the coolest fashion collabs and out-of-this-world in-store digital experiences. This concept store is for the game changers, the trendsetters and those that want a taste of the cutting-edge. KFC at Play Braam will be your new go-to KFC. Same same, but deliciously different. So don’t get left behind, check out the new kid on the Braam block and join us at 73 Juta Street to experience #KFCNewOriginal.
• What is a concept store?
A Concept Store is a unique store that offers creative and inspiring products. It is purposefully different to other stores of the brand and is seen as the innovation hub.
KFC at Play Braam is KFC’s first ever concept store and is a permanent restaurant where KFC fans can discover exclusive menu items, the coolest fashion collabs and out-of-this-world in-store digital experiences, that can’t be found elsewhere.
• Why don’t other KFC’s have this?
KFC at Play Braam is KFC’s first ever concept store and is a permanent restaurant where KFC fans can discover exclusive menu items, the coolest fashion collabs and out-of-this-world in-store digital experiences, that can’t be found elsewhere. A concept store is positioned to be different from other restaurants in this space. But don’t worry! The most popular innovation products launched and tested at our concept store may launch at a KFC near you.
• Is this like Kentucky Town?
KFC’s concept store, KFC at Play Braam, is a permanent store located in the heart of Braam. Unlike Kentucky Town which is an 11day pop up, this concept store operates as a permanent restaurant so that you can keep coming back for more. We will be constantly refreshing our exclusive menu, fashion collabs and in-store experiences so that there is always a new way to experience the #KFCNewOriginal
• What food is available?
KFC’s first ever concept store is serving a taste of innovation. KFC at Play Braam is coming through with a menu that’s as unique as the store itself. Be the first to try out KFC’s newest Chilli Lime Burger, Sticky Asian Dunked Wings, Cola Dunked Wings, Chicken Strips with a choice of 4 new dips flavours, delectable summer Krushers and a decadent doughnut dessert. And that’s just the beginning – new flavours and menu updates will drop continuously.
• How do I order?
From 29 January KFC fans can order via our dynamic digital kiosks in store. We will soon be rolling out further digital channels including Qskip and delivery, so watch this space.
• Why Braamfontein?
Play Braam is a cultural hub. It is a youth hotspot where creativity and authenticity come to life. This store is for the game-changers, the trend-setters and those that want a “taste” of the cutting edge. KFC is proud to be one of the brands with prime positioning in the Play Braam precinct including the rooftop basketball court in partnership with Hennessy and the NBA, and the popular Playground weekend market upstairs, and the City Beach Club in partnership with Corona around the corner.
• Will this offering expand across the country?
Launching cutting edge in-restaurant experiences that give our customers a “taste” of the unexpected is part of the long-term strategy of KFC to retain our position as the leading brand on the continent. We believe KFC at Play Braam is the first of many exciting projects where we flex our industry leading capability.
• How does this differ from Kentucky Town?
Kentucky Town is an 11 day pop up experience whereas the KFC concept store at Play Braam is a permanent restaurant always open to the public. Although permanent, the restaurant food, fashion and in-restaurant experiences such as gaming and music will continuously change as new innovation is launched.
• What are some of the never before tasted flavours you mention?
New additions to the menu, exclusive to the Play Braam KFC, include Cola Dunked Wings, Sticky Asian Wings, the Double Mexican Crunch burger, Rainbow Slaw Burger, new strips and dips, Hot & Spicy Chachos and a variety of Krushers including Black Forest Iced Krusher and the Cherry Cola Boba Krusher. The menu will be refreshed every few months.
• Will there be free Wi-Fi?
Yes, super-fast, and docking and charging stations. There is also more seating available than in our standard restaurant formats, so that KFC at Play Braam will be a space where customers can linger longer as they feast on their finger lickin’ favourites.
• Is this a digital first restaurant?
Yes, we been very intentional about creating a space in which cutting edge technology can partner with our youth-centred staff. From placing your order on digital cashless channels like kiosk and app, playing our virtual reality game while you wait, receiving your meal via table service, to “trying on” our latest fashion range using the virtual mirror. This has enabled our staff to turn their focus from solely order fulfilment, to facilitating a new superior front-of-house experience by directly engaging with customers.
• Are the sauces for sale?
KFC’s signature Colonel and Zinger bottled sauces will be available for purchase so fans can take home a bottle of their favourites.
• How does the in-store playlist work?
KFC at Play Braam has South Africa’s first ever crowdsourced playlist on Spotify which customers can contribute to in store. Fans can check out the playlist on Spotify as well as listen out for their favourite beats echoed in store.
• Is there unique KFC VR gaming?
Yes, we’ve launched an immersive virtual reality game that was custom built for this concept store. Player will don a headset and step into the KFC world. The game features three levels of varying difficulty where players need to catch or avoid elements in building our signature bucket, burger and Krusher products. A live leaderboard will reflect the top scorers who will be rewarded with KFC vouchers.
• How did you change up the staff experience?
We’ve reimagined not just uniforms, but also the in-restaurant music, staff recharge areas which include updated charging port, relaxing seating areas, soundproof walls and designated delivery entrances so that the staff experience is as elevated as the customer experience.
• Is this store sustainably focused?
Yes, we are committed to continuously reducing the impact we have on the environment and Play Braam is an opportunity for us to innovate in this space too.
• Energy: We have taken our standard systems to new levels by not only measuring overall energy use but measuring the energy use of each piece of equipment in the restaurant. This information will support us as we strive towards more energy-efficient restaurants.
• Water: Similarly, we are measuring water use in every area of the restaurant to see how we can improve. We have installed Propelair low-flush toilets, which use less than 20% of the water standard toilets need.
• Diesel: We measure the volume of diesel consumed by our back-up power supply in an effort to identify new ways to reduce consumption and CO2 emissions.
• IoT sensors: Digital sensors in the back of house measure food temperature and oil quality to ensure we deliver the best-quality product.
• What unique collabs are there?
• Fashion:
In terms of our fashion range, we have collaborated with local designer Mzukisi Mbane of Imprint ZA in creating a capsule range with patterns and colours that capture the vibrant spirit of the KFC brand.
• Music Experience:
We have created South Africa’s first ever crowdsourced playlist on Spotify where customers can submit their song contributions. Fans can check out the playlist on Spotify as well as listen out for their favourite beats echoed in store.
• Interior Design:
Our restaurant interior design also includes collaborative pieces with local designers and creatives including Yay Abe, Karabo Poppy & Damn Vandal.
• Beverage Experience:
We have unique collabs with key partners like Coca-Cola to bring customers unique beverage experiences too.
• Are the other KFC’s in Braam still open?
Yes, it is Business as usual. The bespoke menu, fashion and gaming is exclusive to the KFC at Play Braam concept store. KFCs in the area will continue to sell our existing national menu.
• What are the operating hours at #KFCPlayBraam
Operating hours: 6am-10pm on weekends (long-term aim is to make it 24hrs)
• What are the clothing items on sale at the KFC at Play Braam concept store?
You can get your hands on limited-edition ranges of your favourite KFC fashion items all year round. From winter wear to summer gear our fashion ranges, like us, are Always Original, so keep an eye out for new designs, styles, fashion and accessories on sale in store. Limited edition ranges are limited, so get here while stock lasts.
We have KFC branded items available including tote bags, bucket hats, caps, a hoodie, t-shirts, colonel shorts, socks, flip-flops, badges and a kimono. We also are dropping a brand new collab range with award-winning designer Mzukisi Mbane of Imprint. The capsule range includes a sling bag, crew neck long sleeve, zip jacket, moonbag, t-shirt, bucket hat, tote bag and socks.
• Can I buy any of the KFC at Play Braam fashion items online?
Our limited-edition clothing and accessory ranges are only available for purchase in store but with so much to experience, you’ll prefer to be instore – so head down to Braam and check it out!
• Are there any fashion collaborations available?
As a true Original we love Original Creatives, so we have a host of upcoming fashion and design collabs in store for fans. Keep an eye out for our first collab with Imprint by Mzukisi Mbane coming to store in February, with bold patterns that reflect the vibrant KFC brand.
Visit 73 Juta Street, Braam and experience the #KFCNewOriginal.
Be sure to use our instore virtual mirror to make sure you purchase the correct size.
Visit 73 Juta Street, Braam and experience the #KFCNewOriginal.
