Gainesville’s sole PDQ Chicken is closing this fall after 11 years and will rebrand and reopen as Saucy! by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). 

PDQ’s assistant manager, Nicole Hayden, told Mainstreet the restaurant (3403 W University Ave.) got bought by Saucy!, a new fried chicken chain of KFC, and a complete remodel will start in November. 

Hayden said she and her team are excited about the change, which will open around 40 new job positions, in addition to the current staff and provide opportunities for moving up. 

“There’s one [Saucy] location in Orlando; it’s a young brand, so that’s what we’re going to be converting into,” she said. 

KFC launched Saucy in 2024 with the Orlando location aiming to usher in “a new era of finger lickin’ good,” according to its website. 

Saucy’s menu specializes in boneless chicken recipes using KFC’s Original Recipe, with an emphasis on the sauce. 

Customers can order custom combinations of chicken tenders and chicken tender sandwiches with flights of 11 different sauces, including chimichurri ranch, smokey bacon ranch, creole honey mustard and spicey mango chutney. 

Saucy offers key lime and chocolate cake for dessert and a drink menu featuring refresher, lemonade and tea flavors such as hot honey watermelon, peach mango and tropical black. 

 “We’re sauce people, not math people, but we tried to calculate it and there seems to be over 4,000 different ways you could order at Saucy and have a different flavor experience every time,” said Christophe Poirier, KFC’s Chief New Concept Officer. 

Hayden said the rebrand of Gainesville’s PDQ is not a complete takeover of the entire brand, as other locations will remain.