肯德基（KFC）希望重現昔日榮光。

在“2016年快餐界可能發生的最大事件”媒體活動上，肯德基美國區總裁杰森?馬克宣布，這家餐飲連鎖店正在經歷一個他們稱之為“回歸上校”（Re-Colonelization）的過程。不要把它與“再度移民”（recolonization）搞混了，這個術語指的是肯德基要努力改善烹飪方式，確保消費者能享用到“上校品質”的炸雞。

馬克在接受《財富》雜志采訪時表示：“如果你認為肯德基的迷人美味要歸功于食譜和烹飪過程，那么，我們這次重點改善了烹飪過程。”他還補充道，肯德基的母公司百勝餐飲（Yum!）2015年宣布將向這個炸雞品牌直接投資1.85億美元，并提供“2.5億美元的經費”。這筆錢將用于幫助肯德基開展“回歸上校”行動，其中包括升級肯德基在美國的所有廚房，改造3000家門店。在2016年，肯德基計劃先改造其中的1000家餐廳。

馬克把肯德基比作“曾經輝煌”的足球隊——人們戀舊地談起它，但近些年來他們的表現已經不再出色。為了重現“昔日榮光”，這家連鎖餐飲公司也在改進一些基本的烹飪技術，例如油脂管理、烹飪循環、存放時間等，“回到創始人山德士上校最初的烹飪方式。”

馬克說：“我們希望能為這家公司提供的食物百分百負責，百分百自豪。”為表明他們對顧客負責，肯德基提供了擔保——如果顧客不喜歡拿到的炸雞，他們可以提供調換。

馬克表示，這只是他們宏偉戰略的一部分，顧客可以期待肯德基的后續消息。他補充道，公司首先抓住了基本要點，從而獲得了“開展更多創新”的能力，“今年會有一些令人激動的創新”。（財富中文網）

譯者：嚴匡正

KFC wants to return to its glory days.

At a press event that was built up as “what may be 2016’s biggest story in fast food,” KFC U.S. president Jason Marker announced that the chain is undergoing a process they’ve chosen to call “Re-Colonelization.” Not to be confused with “recolonization,” the term refers to KFC’s efforts to refine its cooking process and ensure customers receive “Colonel-quality” fried chicken.

“If you think of the craveable taste of KFC as the recipe and the process, it’s been the process piece that we’re focused on,” Marker told Fortune. He added that Yum!Brands YUM -0.45% , KFC’s parent company, announced last year that it would be investing $185 million directly into the fried chicken brand as well as “a quarter of a billion dollars in finance.” That money is helping fund KFC’s “Re-Colonelization” efforts which include upgrading all KFC U.S. kitchens and remodeling 3,000 assets. KFC plans to remodel 1,000 restaurants in 2016.

Marker likened KFC to a “once great” football team—people talk about it nostalgically, but in recent years they haven’t been doing their best. To return to its “former glory,” the chain is also changing some of its fundamental cooking practices such as oil management, cook cycles, and hold times, to “go back to the process Colonel Sanders originally had in place.”

“What we want is a business where we’re 100% accountable for the food we serve, and 100% proud of the food we serve,” Marker said. The chain is holding itself accountable by implementing a guarantee—if a customer doesn’t love his chicken, he can request a replacement.

Marker said that this is just one part of a broader strategy, and that customers should expect future announcements from KFC. First getting the basics right gives the chain the ability to “generate a lot more innovation,” and “there’s some exciting innovation coming this year,” he added.