KFC aims to level up their customer experience with a brand new high-tech restaurant located in the Howard Centre in Pinelands, Cape Town. The new store features digital menus, self-service kiosks, and most impressively, a two-lane drive-thru.
Chief operations officer at KFC Africa Thuthuka Nxumalo said the new KFC Pinelands store is set to provide quicker, easier, and seamless customer service in order to adapt to the shifting quick-service food market which has changed significantly over the recent years, as per Business Tech.
“The restaurant business as we know it has changed and as we move into a new era of customer experience, the approach to new restaurants needs to shift too – driven by a shift in preferences and expectations of what brands should be delivering today be it in food, design or experience,” said Nxumalo.
“In a first for KFC in Africa, this store features digital menu boards in each of the dual lane drive-thrus. It also boasts dedicated self-service kiosks for walk-in customers, a dedicated window for delivery drivers, digital menu boards and the latest in connected kitchen technology which ensures the correct amount of stock at all times as well as better quality management – giving the consumer a guarantee of a great end product,” he added.
A growing shift in the dining market
With about 1 000 restaurants countrywide, KFC leads the race in South Africa’s fast food industry.
John Loos, property sector strategist at FNB, remarked on the structural shift restaurant and takeaway sectors are experiencing after COVID-19. South Africa is seeing a growing shift towards quick dining, and overall growth in restaurant and takeaway dining in the last two years, and the new KFC store aims to follow that shift.
Loos also highlighted the fact that negative economic factors, like load shedding, rising fuel prices, and interest rates, are forcing consumers with tight budgets to search for cheaper food. This shift towards takeaways and fast food happens in spite of consumers sacrificing the dining experience of sitting down at a restaurant.
Consumers now seem far more intent on convenience and speed since COVID restrictions are lifted, added Loos, which puts retail centres that focus on sit-down restaurants and coffee shops at a relative disadvantage.
“A focus on the Fast Foods and TakeAways category through the COVID-19 period appears to have been significantly more advantageous,” he said.
Cape {town} Etc tried it out
With our offices right down the road, we could not miss the opportunity to see the new technology in action. Cape {town} Etc’s Rachelle investigated:
The store is easy to find and access, with covered and uncovered parking options nearby. Even though the interior is relatively small, there are four pay points, of which two are self-help electronic kiosks that are located directly to the left of the entrance. Each kiosk has its own card machine that allows you to pay directly, but that does not mean the kiosks are only available for cashless service; you still have the option to pay cash at the tills.
Placing an order at the kiosk is quick and easy. After choosing between takeaway or sit-down, you have access to the entire menu. The menu is touch-screen and visual, making it easier to navigate. Orders are also fully customisable; the kiosk allows you to add and remove ingredients from set menu items.
I completed my order and patiently waited for an order that arrived promptly. I was in and out fast enough to get my covered parking free. Granted, I did have a small order, but other indications of their quick service were that there were no queues, and the store never got too crowded with customers waiting for their orders.
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Picture: Supplied