Dive Brief:
- KFC deployed a lineup of four premium Pepsi drinks across its chicken tender spinoff brand, Saucy, on Monday, according to an emailed press statement. The Pepsi items, part of a drinks program called Drips, mix Pepsi products like soda and lemonade with ingredients like caramel cold foam or blue raspberry boba.
- Saucy has 10 units open, with another five to follow later this year.
- The beverage launch helps solidify Saucy’s place in Yum Brands’ strategy as a testing ground for premium items and operational tweaks for KFC, similar to how Taco Bell uses Taco Bell Cantinas and its Live Más Café.
Dive Insight:
A premium beverage platform complements the premium sauces and tenders that define the Saucy concept. The indulgent new Pepsi products are likely to drive buzz for the KFC spinoff, and could help grow its daypart occasions and consumer base. The Pepsi Drips addition also reflects Yum’s broader menu innovation strategy, which hinges on giving consumers customizable, but still controlled, experiences.
The Drips flavor lineup gives “fans even more ways to customize their experience. Whether the mood is indulgent, nostalgic, spicy, or refreshing, this collaboration delivers for every vibe,” the press release states. Saucy’s location in Carrollwood, Florida, will serve an exclusive, fifth beverage build when it opens later this month.
KFC will promote both Saucy and the Drips lineup with three “Saucy Soirees” at select Florida locations later this month. Those events consist of “high-energy grand opening celebrations featuring live DJs, a Sauce Bar tasting guided by a Sauce Sommelier,” and Drips-branded bags. The merch will be offered to the first 50 consumers to order Drips items at each event.
The product launch is also a major step for Pepsi, which has tested and deployed a variety of premium Drips drinks over the last two years, in hopes of leveraging diner interest in dirty soda, functional beverages and premium caffeine.
Saucy is “the perfect restaurant partner to debut our crafted beverages,” Scott Finlow, PepsiCo’s chief marketing officer for its away from home business, said in a press statement.
