EG Group has become the largest franchisee for the KFC brand in Western Europe, following the acquisition of 52 UK sites from Amsric Group.
The network of Kentucky Fried Chicken shops are located across the south and south west of England and are comprised of a mix of drive-thru locations and traditional restaurant formats.
Post completion the group will operate more than 220 KFC restaurants in the UK and Europe.
The addition of the new KFC sites gives EG Group a portfolio of more than 1,700 foodservice concessions and follows the earlier acquisition of 146 KFC restaurants and one Pizza Hut unit from The Herbert Group in March last year.
Mohsin Issa CBE and Zuber Issa CBE, co-founders and co-CEOs of EG Group, said: “Acquiring the Amsric portfolio further strengthens our customer proposition and is highly complementary to our existing operations, and our long-term growth plans for our foodservice business.
“The KFC brand has continued to grow in recent years due to its focus on changing customer needs and brand positioning. We have seen a marked upward trend in the performance of our existing KFC network and this has given us confidence to consider and invest in more assets.”
Paula MacKenzie, managing director, KFC UK & Ireland, added: “EG Group’s commitment to investing not only in the existing restaurants, but also in growth through the development of new locations reinforces the strength of our brand, and of KFC as a world-class franchisor.
“We are confident that EG Group’s expertise, focus on their people and depth of connection to our brand will yield tremendous success and continued growth.”
KFC’s Paula MacKenzie will taking part in an exclusive Q&A at MCA’s Restaurant Conference on 3 November, where she will discuss how the muscle memory of KFC’s chicken shortage in 2018 helped it to better cope with the pandemic (and to come back even stronger); and how a distinctive approach to marketing has helped transform the brand’s cultural relevance and sales. To find out more about the event and to book your ticket please click here.
