Three Central Florida PDQ Chicken restaurants are closing next week and will be replaced by Saucy! restaurants, an offshoot of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Yum! Brands confirmed Wednesday that it will open three Saucy! locations where PDQs now operate in Hunter's Creek, Winter Park and near the Waterford Lakes community. The company opened its first Saucy! location in December in the Waterford neighborhood in east Orange County.
PDQ said on its website that the last day of operations for those three restaurants is Sept. 14. Its menu includes chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches and chicken salads.
Saucy! sells chicken tenders served with a variety of sauces.
"The company intends to transform the locations into concepts operated by Yum! Brands, including expansion of the test program for the new chicken tender concept Saucy! by KFC, consistent with previously communicated plans," said Rick Maynard, the Yum! spokesman, by email, adding that this is a real estate transaction and Yum! is not buying the PDQ brand.
Maynard did not say when the new restaurants will open.
He said employees at PDQ locations affected by the sale have been notified and can apply for jobs at the new restaurants as transition occurs over the coming months.
A woman who answered the phone at PDQ corporate headquarters in Tampa said company executives had no comment and referred calls to Yum! Brands.
PDQ's other Central Florida locations in Altamonte Springs, Orlando's SoDo neighborhood, Lake Nona and Sanford will remain open. A Kia Center location open only during sporting and entertainment events will also remain open.
Founded in Tampa in 2011 by Outback Steakhouse co-founder Bob Basham and MVP Holdings CEO Nick Reader, PDQ has spread throughout Florida and has three locations in North Carolina and one in New Jersey. According to the chain's website, 49 locations will remain in the state.
An Aug. 31 note on the PDQ website said anyone with PDQ gift cards or loyalty rewards is encouraged to use them at their local restaurant before it closes but said they will be honored at other locations, as well.