KFC to acquire 218 franchised restaurants in UK, Ireland

QSR chain KFC is planning to acquire 218 franchised restaurants owned by EG Group in the U.K. and Ireland.

The brand currently operates 50 company-owned restaurants across the two countries.

KFC U.K. and Ireland has a strong track record of consistent growth that has continued this year, with system sales up 7% and same-store sales up 5% across its 1,040 restaurants.

"The KFC business is a powerhouse for Yum! globally and the UK and Ireland is one of our strongest markets," shared Sabir Sami, CEO, KFC Division by adding that over the past five years, the group has secured their leadership position within the U.K. and Ireland chicken market, opening 200 new restaurants, and is now close to being a £2 billion business in the U.K.

Since 2018, KFC has opened 200 restaurants across the U.K. and Ireland and previously announced plans to open a further 500 restaurants across the market by 2030, added the release.

"We are proud to have been a strategic partner of KFC in the U.K. and Ireland, playing an important role in helping the brand expand its footprint," added Zuber Issa and Mohsin Issa, CBE co-founders and co-CEOs of EG Group.

Today KFC operates over 1,000 restaurants across the U.K. and Ireland with 27,000 team members in the U.K. and Ireland.