KFC hungry for UK growth with near £1.5bn investment over the next five years
KFC is planning to invest almost £1.5bn into its UK estate over the next five years.
The fried chicken restaurant chain is set to spend £1.49bn on opening new restaurants and reinvesting into its estate.
KFC – which operates over 1,000 restaurants in the UK – will look to spend £466m on expanding its estate, with plans to open 500 more sites in the UK and Ireland over the next decade.
The operator is also set to invest in upgrading over 200 of its existing restaurants.
Rob Swain, general manager of KFC UK and Ireland, said: “We’ve never seen such demand for freshly prepared fried chicken as we’re seeing today.
“That’s why we’re doubling down on our commitment to the UK and Ireland with a major investment into our restaurants and in the suppliers who have been so crucial to our success.”
KFC – which this year celebrates 60 years in the UK this year – has been facing fierce competition from recent entrants into the UK fried chicken market, including Wingstop, Slim Chickens, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Popeyes.