KFC wants to take you into the world of virtual reality gaming at its new store in Braam. You might have seen stores like this before—they’re all about trying new things and bringing brands into the modern age. That’s exactly what KFC Africa is doing with its brand-new store in Joburg’s Play Braamfontein area.
KFC Play Braam at 73 Juta Street is more than just a place to shop—it’s also a hub of creativity and innovation for the brand. It’s where new ideas come to life right before your eyes, covering everything from delicious food to trendy fashion, friendly service to cool technology, smooth operations to taking care of the planet, and cool design.
When you visit, you can check out special merchandise made in partnership with local designer Mzukisi Mbane from Imprint ZA. Plus, you can dive into a special KFC virtual reality (VR) gaming experience. Compete with others on a live leaderboard to win KFC vouchers and have a blast!
“It’s where innovation and tech meet food, fashion and gaming to creae an unparalleled customer experience,” says KFC Chief Marketing Officer Grant 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.”
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 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.”
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 crowdsourced playlist on Spotify allows customers to contribute song suggestions and personalise their in-restaurant experience.
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.
“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.”
