To shake off the image of being one of the most “unhealthy” fast food brands, KFC launched its first K Pro in China, pledging the healthy eating concept would attract more white collars.

In addition to cashless services, it is the nation’s first restaurant to use facial recognition technology for payments.

The K Pro restaurant still sells the classic KFC chicken burger, but the main dishes served are salad and panini sandwiches. As a light food restaurant, K Pro boasts using only seasonal ingredients to provide healthy salad and panini choices. But that fresh and healthy diet comes at a cost. The average price for a combo meal is around 50 yuan (7.65 U.S. dollars), while the average per capita consumption is 64 yuan (9.79 U.S. dollars).

Instead of the classic white and red logo, the K Pro logo uses wood, green, and black colors. The restaurant is decorated using many iron and glass arts, giving it a more modern and industrial feel.

K Pro is expected to hit Shanghai in the near future and will mainly serve white collar workers. While K Pro’s revenue in Hangzhou has jumped more than 50 percent, many remain skeptical as to whether the new brand, which is currently attracting the curious, would be able to compete with other light food brands in China. 

Email: gaohan@nbd.com.cn