KFC Muse, a new global flagship restaurant design from KFC, opened in Dubai on October 31, 2026, with Americana Restaurants as launch partner. The two-story restaurant on Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) is the first of its kind worldwide, and a second KFC Muse is planned for Seoul before the end of the year.
KFC describes the Muse as the first ground-up expression of its evolved brand identity in a single restaurant. The space is built around the Kinetic Bucket, a central feature that coordinates content, light and sound so the room responds to the time of day.
The brand, which operates more than 34,000 restaurants in over 150 countries, positions the design as a shift from fast service to a longer stay, with dining spaces that change through the day.
moving from QSR, quick service restaurant, to QXR: quality experience restaurant
That phrase comes from Scott Mezvinky, KFC’s Global CEO, who also said the brand chose Dubai because it reflects its ambition to modernise across the MENA region and beyond.
Two menu concepts make their UAE debut inside the restaurant. KWENCH by KFC is the brand’s beverage sub-brand, with boba refreshers, shakes, sparkling lemonades and iced coffees. KFC MIX’D lets customers choose their chicken, add sauces and a finishing sprinkle, then mix it together.
Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Americana Restaurants, described the launch as the world’s first KFC Muse delivered together with the franchisee group. Americana is the Middle East and North Africa franchisee for KFC and, as a result, this opening is a showcase for how a regional operator can pilot a global brand format.
For master franchise operators, the Dubai and Seoul pair is a reference point. KFC says both restaurants will guide how it builds and remodels immersive restaurants globally at scale. Operators already holding KFC or other QSR territories in the region can expect remodel programmes to follow the prototypes, while prospective partners can use the Muse design to judge how global brands are reshaping the format.
Regional developers tracking UAE quick-service growth can also read about Taco Bell’s return to the UAE through Americana and the franchise opportunities guide for Dubai and the UAE. Wider format trends appear in the coffee and tea franchise guide for Asia Pacific and MENA, since beverage platforms are becoming a growth lever for chicken and burger brands.
