The World's Fanciest KFC Restaurant Just Opened In This American Town

When it comes to upscale dining, most people don't think of buckets of fried chicken. Even less so, the American quick-service chain KFC. But didn't stop the brand from unveiling one of the most over-the-top, grandiose fast-food restaurants in the world, which looks more like a fine-dining establishment than a fried chicken joint.

Aptly named the Crystal Bucket, KFC's fanciest restaurant is located in the small town of Painted Post, N.Y. The location opened on May 3 and has already been called "the most beautiful KFC in the world," by those who have seen it.

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The restaurant was remodeled from a former bank building, according to Nation's Restaurant News. It features curved floor-to-ceiling glass windows which wrap around the exterior, giving it a bucket-like appearance. The location even has a bank vault where the restaurant says it keeps the Colonel's famous recipe featuring 11 herbs and spices.

Parent company Yum! Brands said it continues to look for new ways to fold local landmarks into the KFC brand, which have become new destinations for communities.

"We've taken the opportunity strategically to play up the provenance that the brand has, and we have these unique landmarks now as well," KFC chief development officer Brian Cahoe told Nation's Restaurant News in an interview. "There was genuine excitement about this restaurant opening in the community. From a revenue perspective, the outcomes have been outpacing our expectations. It's a very small community and the response has been amazing so far."

While the Crystal Bucket is a singular design, it does incorporate some of the chain's new digital elements that are part of its Next Generation stores. These include built-in pickup cubbies and dedicated parking for digital order pickup.

KFC's Next Generation stores are smaller than regular locations and have no dining rooms. Instead, they feature lanes for digital pick-up and drive-thru. The chain is currently working on 55 new Next Gen openings in 2022, according to Nations Restuarant News. The designs are part of a larger movement toward off-premise dining that many fast-food chains are following post-COVID-19, including Taco Bell and Jimmy Johns, which will rely solely on pick-up and drive-thu orders.