$5 Bowls with Five Choices: KFC® Debuts Hot New Lineup of Flavorful Bowls, Including Anticipated Return of Nashville Hot Sauce

Rhea-AI Summary

KFC has launched a new lineup of five flavor-packed bowls priced at $5 each, featuring the return of their popular Nashville Hot Sauce. The lineup includes the NEW Nashville Hot Loaded Fries Bowl, Nashville Hot Mac & Cheese Bowl, Nashville Hot Famous Bowl, Mac & Cheese Bowl, and Famous Bowl.

Each bowl comes with five Original Recipe® Nuggets and various combinations of ingredients like mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, three-cheese blend, and coleslaw. Additionally, KFC is introducing two digital-exclusive menu items: the Korean BBQ Mac & Cheese Bowl and Korean BBQ Loaded Fries Bowl, also priced at $5.

The company is also planning a special promotion for Quitter's Day (Jan. 10) through their rewards program, offering an exclusive deal for KFC Rewards members.

Positive

• Introduction of new $5 bowl lineup expanding menu offerings
• Return of popular Nashville Hot Sauce indicating strong customer demand
• Launch of digital-exclusive menu items showing digital sales channel expansion

Negative

• time availability of new items may impact sustained sales
• Promotional pricing at $5 could impact profit margins

Insights

Market Research Analyst

This product launch represents KFC's strategic pricing and menu innovation approach in a challenging economic environment. The $5 price point is particularly noteworthy as it targets value-conscious consumers amid persistent inflation concerns. The timing of this launch - early January - is calculated to capture post-holiday budget-conscious consumers while maintaining strong margins through cost-effective ingredients like potatoes and mac & cheese.

The reintroduction of Nashville Hot Sauce and expansion into Korean BBQ flavors demonstrates YUM's ability to leverage trending flavor profiles while maintaining operational simplicity. These -time offers (LTOs) typically drive short-term sales spikes and increased foot traffic without significantly impacting operational complexity. Historical data shows that bowl formats generally yield higher margins compared to traditional chicken pieces due to lower protein content and higher-margin sides.

The digital-exclusive items strategy aims to boost app adoption and digital sales, which typically show 20-30% higher average ticket sizes than traditional orders. The KFC Rewards promotion timing aligns with known consumer behavior patterns around New Year's resolutions, potentially driving incremental visits during a traditionally slower period.

Fast Food Industry Expert

The bowl format innovation is a calculated response to current quick-service restaurant (QSR) trends, where consumers increasingly seek filling, value-oriented meals. The $5 price point is particularly competitive in the current QSR landscape, where most value meals now exceed $7-8. This positions KFC favorably against competitors like Popeyes and McDonald's.

The multi-tier product strategy - offering both traditional and digital-exclusive items - reflects sophisticated channel management. Digital exclusives typically show 15-25% higher profitability due to reduced service costs and increased add-on sales. The Korean BBQ variation specifically targets younger, digital-native consumers who index higher for Asian flavor profiles.

While these promotions may drive short-term traffic, they're unlikely to materially impact YUM's stock performance. Bowl promotions historically generate modest same-store sales lifts of 2-4% during their run, with long-term impact on quarterly earnings.

Options include the NEW Nashville Hot Loaded Fries Bowl

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Jan. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- KFC is introducing a hot new lineup of five flavor-packed bowls for a limited time, including KFC icons like the Famous Bowl and saucy twists like the new Nashville Hot Loaded Fries Bowl. For a limited time, the fan-favorite Nashville Hot Sauce is back on KFC menus nationwide, while supplies last. Indulge your cravings with a hearty, warm, comforting bowl this winter for just $5 each, making your post-holiday wallet happy. The five flavor-packed $5 options are available starting today at KFC restaurants, KFC.com and the KFC app:*

• NEW Nashville Hot Loaded Fries Bowl – An unexpected flavor explosion, with crispy fries, coleslaw, pickles and five Original Recipe® Nuggets, drizzled with Nashville Hot Sauce.
• Nashville Hot Mac & Cheese Bowl – A tasty twist on a fan favorite, combining mac & cheese with five Original Recipe® Nuggets, three-cheese blend and Nashville Hot Sauce.
• Nashville Hot Famous Bowl – A remix on a legendary KFC menu item, with layers of mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, three-cheese blend, five Original Recipe® Nuggets, plus the delectably spicy Nashville Hot Sauce.
• Mac & Cheese Bowl – A cheesy comfort meal, featuring creamy mac & cheese, three-cheese blend and five Original Recipe® Nuggets.
• Famous Bowl – One of the most iconic KFC menu items – with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, three-cheese blend and five Original Recipe® Nuggets.

"KFC was the first brand to bring the bold and spicy flavors of Nashville Hot nationwide and we've amassed a fandom – so have our Famous Bowls and Mac & Cheese Bowls," said Catherine Tan-Gillespie, Chief Marketing Officer and Development Officer, KFC U.S. "Our KFC Bowls are hearty and packed with flavor for just $5 each – that's a winning deal."

Fans also get Nashville Hot Sauce on the new KFC Original Recipe® Tenders** while supplies last.

For those looking for even more flavor options, KFC is also introducing two digital exclusive menu items: the Korean BBQ Mac & Cheese Bowl and Korean BBQ Loaded Fries Bowl (also just $5).*** KFC's Korean BBQ – first debuted on Saucy Nuggets last year – is a sweet and savory umami sauce with soy sauce, garlic, sugar and sesame.

Have a hard time sticking with your New Year's Resolutions? You're not alone – Quitter's Day (Jan. 10) is the day when most people give up. Because KFC believes that everyone should get rewarded for trying, we're turning Quitter's Day into Chicken Cheat Day, giving our rewards members an exclusive deal drop on Jan. 10. Sign up for KFC Rewards**** to take advantage of the limited-time deal.*****

*Prices and participation may vary, whiles supplies last. Prices higher in AK, HI, CA and third-party ordering websites. Tax, tip and fees extra. No substitutions.
**Prices and participation may vary, while supplies last. 
***Only available on KFC.com or the KFC app for participating stores, while supplies last.  Prices may vary.  Prices higher in AK, HI, CA. Tax, tip and fees extra.
****KFC Rewards program only available with online orders at participating KFC restaurants within the 50 U.S. states.  Account creation required.
*****Only available on KFC.com or in the app for participating stores through KFC Rewards account with $10+ online purchase (before taxes, tips & fees). Customers responsible for all taxes, tips and fees.  Cannot be combined with other offers.  Limit 1 per account per week. 

About KFC

KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., has been serving up Finger Lickin' Good Original Recipe^® fried chicken since 1952, including chicken on the bone, nuggets and tenders. Beyond the top secret 11 herbs & spices, KFC specialties include the KFC Chicken Sandwich, Extra Crispy^™ chicken, KFC Famous Bowls^®, Pot Pies, Secret Recipe Fries, biscuits and homestyle sides. There are over 30,000 KFC restaurants in 150 countries and territories around the world. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM). For more information, visit www.kfc.com. Follow KFC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. 

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SOURCE Kentucky Fried Chicken

FAQ

What are the new $5 KFC bowls launched in January 2025?

KFC launched five bowls: Nashville Hot Loaded Fries Bowl, Nashville Hot Mac & Cheese Bowl, Nashville Hot Famous Bowl, Mac & Cheese Bowl, and Famous Bowl, all priced at $5 each.

How much do the new KFC Nashville Hot bowls cost in 2025?

All new KFC bowls, including the Nashville Hot varieties, are priced at $5 each, with prices potentially higher in AK, HI, CA and third-party ordering websites.

What are the digital-exclusive KFC bowl options for 2025?

KFC offers two digital-exclusive bowls: the Korean BBQ Mac & Cheese Bowl and Korean BBQ Loaded Fries Bowl, both priced at $5 and available only through KFC.com or the KFC app.

What is KFC's Chicken Cheat Day promotion for January 2025?

KFC is offering an exclusive deal for KFC Rewards members on January 10, 2025 (Quitter's Day), available through their rewards program with a $10+ online purchase.