KFC's Making a Big Announcement Next Week. What Could It Be? They say it'll be the biggest fast food story in 2016. We'll see about that.

By Lindsay Friedman

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Kentucky Fried Chicken | Busy People | Youtube

Entrepreneur is on the ground at the most important launches so you can imagine our excitement when we received a special invitation from the food innovators better known as KFC. The invitation teased a "transformational announcement" that will be "the biggest fast food story of 2016."

Bigger than the McDonald's mozzarella sticks that didn't have cheese? Bigger than the Twitter duel between Burger King and Wendy's? Color us intrigued.

Related: 7 Things You Didn't Know About the Real Colonel Sanders

Suddenly, we began to dream out loud. We imagined an all-white stage and the crowd silenced as the Colonel himself emerged in an all black turtleneck and jeans. He'd usher us into a new chicken future -- one with self-driving buckets, 3-D printed pot pies and VR headsets that make us think we're all in a KFC at all times. The Colonel, with his gentle Southern drawl, would comfort us, and welcome us to our new lives.

We grappled with two realities: the fried future before us and the distant past, known as B.T.C or, Before The Colonel.

And then we came to our senses. KFC held an unveiling last year and all we got was Nashville Hot Chicken. Taco Bell teased a new ingredient in January and that just turned out to be some ordinary Cheetos.

But alas, we still hold out hope for real innovation, for someone to solve fried chicken problems that no one else has had the courage to address. That is, until now.

Related: KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell Want Even More Millennial Customers in 2015

The event promises a surprise guest as well as the company's head chef. But more than that, lunch will be served. The company promises a "KFC lunch like [we've] never tasted." Your move, Colonel. Your move.

Think you know what they'll announce? (The company promises it's not a new Colonel but hints at "significant changes to KFC's business operations.") Post your ideas on Twitter or Facebook and your answers might be included in a future roundup.

Lindsay Friedman

Staff writer. Frequently covers franchise news and food trends.

Lindsay Friedman is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

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