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BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE ISSUE 262
regen 2019
The 6th Annual UK Regeneration
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INTERIOR FIT-OUT KFC UKI
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INTERIOR FIT-OUT KFC UKI
Adapting to the changing market KFC UKI heads up the delivery of the KFC brand to the United Kingdom and Ireland. As part of the wider KFC brand (owned by Yum! Brands), the organisation operates some 950 venues of varying shapes and sizes, including: drive-throughs, restaurants, food courts, and also small box venues. As a powerhouse in the UK’s fast food sphere, the company not only represents Yum! Brands in the UK and Ireland but is also serves as a role model for the delivery of fast, efficient, and reputable hospitality. Despite being a part of the greater KFC brand, KFC UKI has a notable degree of autonomy in the design, aesthetic, and presentation of the brand through its venues. While KFC in the USA traditionally offers a family-oriented and homely experience for sit-down eating, KFC in the UK and Ireland is instead works to cater for a younger audience with associated edgy and high-contrast aesthetic to suit. KFC UKI is, however, a beneficiary (and provider) of support within the wider Yum Brands! portfolio, which does allow it to tap into a considerable wealth of expertise in hospitality, design, and purchasing. As one might expect, the KFC UKI team is actively conscious and aware of the changing demands of the marketplace, as well as how tastes vary over time. In terms of the developments themselves, this translates into a strategic approach taken towards venue branding so that the look and feel of each KFC venue is appealing to the modern consumer. Incorporated within this strategy is the continued development of cyclical design and branding packages that are rolled BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
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INTERIOR FIT-OUT KFC UKI out across the portfolio every few years, in addition to the continued maintenance that one might expect. Given the franchised model of the company, this is naturally easier said than done, however, through collaboration with the individual franchisees, this is something the organisation has had remarkable success in keeping up with. Dave Batchelor, Creative Design Manager at KFC UKI explained: “Our restaurant concept changes every three years and we’ll refurbish the restaurants every five. The reason we stagger those is to ensure that when a restaurant comes to its remodel, it’ll catch the front end of one concept and then the back end of another to keep it as contemporary as possible. The design itself is meant to be a reflection of our brand and how we position ourselves, so we have a brand that flows through our marketing, packaging, and restaurant design as a seamless voice of our values and who we are – it’s about authenticity, confidence, swagger, and vibrancy. “We look to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for our customers, but it’s not a cookie cutter approach. We have perhaps different designs for our urban areas to our drive-through restaurants. But we also have the ability in our design concepts for flexibility, so in some of our urban restaurants we let our architects and franchisee’s propose locally inspired touches to make it feel more a part of the local area. For example, they have may propose architectural touches or materials from local buildings that they want to replicate inside the restaurant.” Steven McDonald, Senior Acquisitions Manager at KFC UKI added: “We are continually innovating and evolving in terms of the customer experience, the building design, and the omni-channel nature of our restaurants which keeps building and growing as the customer demands and evolves too. If I think about where we were as a brand when I joined some four years ago, the work that Dave and the team have been doing here is nothing short of remarkable – it’s almost 42
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INTERIOR FIT-OUT KFC UKI
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INTERIOR FIT-OUT KFC UKI like a different brand to me and both the look and feel of the assets are a million times better in my mind.” At present, KFC is currently mid-way through rolling out its K3 design concept, which was officially launched back in 2018. Design work for K4 is expected to begin within the next year, with a view for it being ready to begin the gradual roll-out across the portfolio in the years to follow. Alongside the development of the design aesthetics, KFC UKI has also been working to improve the actual construction process through modularised design so that restaurant programmes can be build off-site and later assembled in a way which can cut anywhere from 7 to 21 weeks off the development time; in essence this gives franchises an equal period of additional trading and allows KFC UKI to cut down on operational costs (in terms of time and money) as it expands the portfolio.
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The modular approach to development was recently showcased at KFC UKI’s Garston site which was undertaken on the ambition of creating savings worth approximately £214,000 (based on a 21 weeks programme). In total, on-site works took a mere 38 days from install of the modules to actually opening and, as a credit to the KFC UKI team, has all the visual and aesthetic appeal of a fantastic new addition to the company’s portfolio. Alongside the bricks and mortar of developments, KFC UKI has also been increasingly looking towards further integrating modern technologies such as self-service kiosks into its venues in a way which will not diminish, but actually enhance the customer experience. As opposed to replacing the human factor, the organisation has been looking to use these kiosks to provide something of a stress-free ordering experience to avoid “counter anxiety” and instead allowing
“KFC UKI has set itself the target of reaching a total of 1,000 restaurants within its portfolio by 2020. Although there is no specific geographic focus, the organisation does have plans to build upon the success of its Manchester Airport venue to establish further, similar enterprises at transport hubs around the country”
customers to take their time in browsing the menu and making an order at their own pace. Complementing the kiosks, however, are helpful customer service representatives, with the team being quite adamant on ensuring that the human factor remains present in eventually serving customers and providing those key personal touches. As for future goals, KFC UKI has set itself the target of reaching a total of 1,000 restaurants within its portfolio by 2020. Although there is no specific geographic focus, the organisation does have plans to build upon the success of its Manchester Airport venue to establish further, similar enterprises at transport hubs around the country. Airports and railway stations naturally form the core area of focus for this expansion, with the team actively looking at strategies to overcome the challenges which such locations face in terms of logistics and the space which can be utilised.
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We are a creative family run business providing award-winning integrated services in Interior Design, Architectural Consultancy and Project Management. Our family business is made up of like-minded professionals who hold the same principles and values and are dedicated to providing quality, innovation and consistency. We are proud to work with KFC on their latest schemes to provide original designs that complement their unique locations. We take an approach that is based on a realistic consideration of function, aesthetics, sustainability and affordability. Our vision is to deliver and implement creative, professional high-quality design focused on client satisfaction.
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