KFC Continues to Grow its Global

In December 2016, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) opened its first branch in Guyana under new franchise management by the Beharry Group of Companies. The outlet opened on Hincks Street, Georgetown, in the building that serves as NALICO/NAFICO’s headquarters. Its opening marked a return by KFC to the Caribbean nation after its earlier operations, under a different franchise holder, were shut in 2014.

The Beharry Group secured the KFC franchise in 2015. It then sought planning approvals for an outlet from the city of Georgetown and, after completing extensive preparations, launched its flagship location on Hincks Street. Several people flocked the outlet on its first day, keeping its dozens of employees busy filling their orders and maintaining operations. The customers continued to throng the restaurant after launch day.

Following the success of its first outlet, the Beharry Group set out to open more KFC outlets in Guyana. It opened its second in August 2017 along Barima Avenue and Vlissengen Road, also in Georgetown, after which it opened more outlets in Regent, MovieTowne, Vreed-en-hoop, Mandela Avenue, and Parika. The outlets open every day from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. They serve walk-in customers and can also do home deliveries. The Beharry Group has committed to expanding the franchise’s reach across the country.

KFC is famous the world over for its succulent fried chicken. Colonel Harland Sanders started the restaurant in 1930. The colonel bought a motel by the road in Corbin, Kentucky, from where he started serving customers with his southern-style chicken. The colonel perfected his unique blend of 11 spices in 1939 and 14 years later opened the first KFC franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah. He sold his Corbin location in 1956 and set off signing up new franchises across the United States in his signature white suit. After growing the restaurant chain’s franchise model for over a decade, Colonel Sanders sold the KFC Company to investors in 1964. He continued to be the face of the brand, promoting it until his passing in 1980, aged 90.

Over four decades since Colonel Sanders’ passing, KFC has morphed into the second-largest restaurant chain in the world after McDonalds. It has over 25,000 locations in 145 plus countries around the world, close to half of which do home deliveries. It employs over 800,000 people and serves tens of millions of people annually. It continues to use Colonel Sander’s blend of 11 unique herbs and spices in its chicken, using fresh ingredients to prepare them every day.

Quality food and superior customer service are fundamental tenets of KFC’s offerings. The restaurant brand has regional representatives that visit and inspect locations for hygiene and standards. Franchisees can also develop internal policies to maintain excellent quality. In Guyana, for example, the Beharry Group has implemented several measures to make sure staff maintain the highest standards when preparing and serving food to customers. If ever a customer is unsatisfied with the service they have received, they can lodge a complaint with the location’s manager or fill a survey at the bottom of their receipt.

KFC continues to expand through a sharp focus on innovation and partnering with new franchisees. Today, the restaurant has expanded its menu items and actively enrolls new franchises in developed and developing markets. In fact, a new KFC opens in the world every six hours. This growth does not come at the expense of the planet, though. KFC has prioritized sustainability over the past decade. In 2018, it stopped buying chicken from farms that raise them with antibiotics in the United States, and in 2021, is committed to buying all its eggs from farmers, raising birds cage-free by 2026. KFC has committed to having all its plastic packaging reusable and recoverable on the packaging side.