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.

Trends in Household & Commercial Cleaning

Household cleaning generally involves services such as carpet and window cleaning. On the other hand, commercial cleaning is larger and includes cleaning and maintenance of offices and corporate premises.

The cleaning industry is projected to grow by 10 percent in 2026. In terms of global trends, the sale of hygiene products and detergents is growing faster in Latin American countries than in Europe and North America. As a result, the two markets appear to have reached saturation points with little room for growth. However, in the developing markets, private label products are gaining popularity thanks to retail sector consolidation. In a European market with little potential for expansion, companies must demonstrate their environmental footprint to remain competitive. Additionally, they must commit to reducing this footprint by enhancing product contents, packaging, and transportation.

With the speed at which technology evolves, even the cleaning industry has initiated leveraging automation to remain competitive. Although many facets of cleaning can only be handled by machines, more and more cleaning companies are adopting the latest technologies, mainly on business transactions. These include task schedulers and accounting software.

Much like automation, cleaning is also going digital. Tech companies like Google are developing user-friendly tools that cleaning businesses can leverage. One such service, Local Services, allows customers to search for and book services directly from search results they get on Google.

Consumer demand is shifting to eco-friendly and green household cleaning products, fueled by greater awareness of toxic chemicals in cleaning products. However, with technological advances, the clamor does not leave the cleaning for more environmentally friendly production approaches. Accordingly, vendors are beginning to re-evaluate their offerings.

In 2019, the global green cleaning products market share was estimated at $ 3.9 billion, and by 2029 is estimated to reach $ 11.6 billion, an 11.8 percent compound annual growth rate. More awareness about green cleaning has led to the production of better performing and environmentally-friendly products. Manufacturers are also expanding their research and development efforts to develop new products that meet consumer expectations and have a smaller carbon footprint.

Meanwhile, many food and catering industries have already started using electrochemically activated water cleaning methods, effectively eliminating harsher solvents from food processing operations. The new systems add an electrical charge to saltwater, enabling the water to easily break up oils and destroy bacteria, just like detergents do.

LEED-compliant cleaning is required for LEED-certified buildings to retain their certification. This is an opportunity for cleaning businesses to consider specialization in green cleaning. In addition, COVID-19 has changed many things, including how cleaning is done in public places and workspaces. Customers and health officials both want more detailed and frequent cleaning in these spaces.

Whether cleaning hospitals or safely dealing with biohazards, these markets offer considerable growth potential for commercial cleaners. One particular niche worth watching is specialty cleaning. Clients cannot do it without engaging professional cleaners to clean windows, carpets, and floorings. As a result, the sector can be expected to continue growing, no matter the state of the economy.