Saucy! by KFC Opening Tampa-Area Spot
- Saucy! by KFC is opening a new restaurant in the Tampa area focused on chicken tenders and sauces. - The concept emphasizes tenders and dips, and Patch reports a local South Tampa opening as part of expansion. - The move signals more fast-food options for Tampa diners; full details are on Patch (patch.com)
Saucy! by KFC is adding another Tampa-area restaurant as the chain pushes its chicken-tenders-and-dipping-sauces concept deeper into Florida. (patch.com) Patch reported in January that KFC planned six Saucy! locations around Tampa Bay. The first opened at 5706 W. Waters Ave. on January 26, and a Westchase store was scheduled to follow on February 16. (patch.com, thatssotampa.com) By March, Fox 13 reported two Tampa stores were already open at 5706 W. Waters Ave. and 8730 W. Linebaugh Ave. The station said more locations were planned on Fowler Avenue, Kennedy Boulevard and Dale Mabry Highway. (fox13news.com) The chain is narrowing KFC’s broader menu into a smaller format built around chicken tenders, bowls, tacos, sandwiches and more than a dozen sauces. USA Today reported when Saucy! debuted in Orlando in December 2024 that the concept centered on tenders and 11 sauces. (usatoday.com, fox13news.com) Tampa is part of a wider Florida buildout. What Now Tampa reported in January that six regional sites were planned across Westchase, Temple Terrace near the University of South Florida, Bradenton, Carrollwood and Trinity, in addition to the first West Tampa opening. (whatnow.com) The expansion also lines up with Yum Brands’ effort to grow Saucy through acquired real estate. Nation’s Restaurant News reported in September 2025 that Yum bought 13 former PDQ restaurants to expand the concept, which it said is fully funded by the parent company rather than franchised. (nrn.com) KFC’s own location pages now show a Saucy! site marked “coming soon” at 12650 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. That listing suggests the next local opening is moving from announcement stage to storefront stage. (locations.kfc.com) For Tampa diners, the result is a faster rollout of a KFC spinoff that trades buckets and biscuits for tenders, sauce flights and smaller-box restaurants. The company’s local map now shows the concept moving from one debut store into a multi-neighborhood chain. (locations.kfc.com, patch.com)
