KFC Canada rolls out new design

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — KFC Canada unveiled its new restaurant design at the opening of a Mississauga location in mid-February. 

The 2,500-square-foot location at 6055 Creditview Rd. features “authentic, handcrafted elements,” such as reclaimed wood, tributes to Colonel Sanders and branding focused on KFC’s core menu item: fried chicken.

“This brand has a lot of history in Canada and we’re really committed to moving the brand forward,” said Nivera Wallani, KFC Canada general manager. 

The design mixes pieces of the brand’s heritage with modern elements, such as digital menu boards and updated furniture and lighting. 

“We wanted to come across as fresh,” said Wallani. “You’ll see we’ve got the red and white candy stripe and that goes back to the heritage of our brands; when you see the red and white candy stripe, it stands for KFC.”

On a journey to revitalize stores and connect with customers, KFC Canada plans to renovate 100 locations by 2019. 

“There has always been from a corporate perspective, this want to rejuvenate the brand,” Wallani said, noting KFC Canada committed to reinvesting in assets in 2015. 

“We are just as excited as corporate about rejuvenating the brand,” said Shehzad Janmohamed of Soul Foods, the franchise partner that manages 224 units in Canada, mainly in Ontario and British Columbia. “We’ve been franchise partners for the brand for 30 years — not in Canada, but in the U.K. — and we see that when we give the correct dining experience for our customers, it really talks a lot.”

Wallani said KFC Canada has more plans in the works for the brand’s 650 units.  

“We’re going to focus on our famous original recipe chicken, because that’s what we do,” she said. “You’re going to see that we’re going to be very focused on investing back into the brand and looking at ways to move the brand forward.”

The company has a presence in every province and Wallani sees opportunity to grow. 

“For KFC, 650, if you compare that to our competitors, we definitely have room to grow in Canada all across the country.”