Louisville, Kentucky-based KFC recently announced that it has plans to open 50 new restaurants under its former moniker, Kentucky Fried Chicken. The decision is part of the fast-food chain's broader strategy to return to the Southern roots that made the company famous.

According to press reports, the new restaurants will prominently feature apron-clad images of founder Colonel Harland Sanders and offer home-style menu choices such as chicken and rice, sausage bowls, collard greens, and sweet potato pie--items not usually associated with fast food. Diners at the new Kentucky Fried Chicken will notice other changes as well, such as lower tables and ottomans, digital jukeboxes, and paintings by African American artist Charly Palmer.

Like many fast-food chains, KFC's business has been adversely affected by the growing demand for healthy menus and by carb-conscious diet fads that steer people away from fried or starchy foods. The company's short-lived effort to introduce healthier fare flopped with customers, and abbreviating its name to simply "KFC" couldn't erase the somewhat greasy image of its fried menu. KFC hopes that the addition of upscale restaurants and the return to its original name will help to revitalize sales and move the brand into the future by drawing on its famed Southern past.