Known for its sweet and spicy flavor profile, Sweet Hot Capital City Mambo Sauce is available at  select KFC restaurants in the Washington,D.C. area, Dallas and Atlanta for a limited time.  

Capital City is a Black woman-owned business operated by Arsha Jones, who was born and raised in Washington, D.C., where mambo sauce could be found at nearly every takeout restaurant.  

After moving to the suburbs with her late husband Charles, she found it hard to get her hands on the D.C. staple, so she developed her own recipe. Ten years later, Capital City has expanded beyond Jones’ home kitchen and into the hands of customers across the country.  

"KFC has given Capital City a huge opportunity to highlight a culture that many don't get a chance to experience," says Jones. "When visitors think of Washington, D.C., they envision museums, government and politics, but there’s a huge community just beyond those few blocks that has a rich history filled with styles, music, lingo and food all our own. We are proud to be able to partner with KFC to share our culture with more people."  

The condiment has been around since the 1950s and is synonymous with Black D.C. food culture. While it was made famous by Black-owned D.C. area chicken wing restaurants, the sweet and hot flavor profile of the sauce (like a Chinese sweet and sour sauce) was adopted by Chinese and Korean takeout restaurants in the 1970s and 1980s and has transformed over the years. Part of Jones' mission is to ensure that mambo sauce's true legacy and taste are preserved for years to come.   

With this limited-run test launch and partnership with Capital City, KFC hopes to introduce more customers to the district’s iconic sauce and bring new flavors to a national audience.  

"Arsha has created a successful business with this ridiculously delicious sauce, and we are proud to partner with her to give even more people a chance to try it," says Kevin Hochman, president, KFC U.S. "You have to try Capital City Mambo Sauce to understand how amazing it tastes, and it's a terrific match with our world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken!"