KFC surpasses 30K restaurants globallyKFC surpasses 30K restaurants globally

KFC’s newest restaurant in Rome, Italy, marks the company’s 30,000^th global location. The company announced the milestone today, noting that a new KFC location opens somewhere in the world every 3.5 hours on average.

“Opening our 30,000^th restaurant is a testament to the support of our local business partners, employees, and customers over the past nearly 75 years,” Sabir Sami, CEO of KFC Global, said in a statement.  "While we are a global brand, we aim to meet the unique needs and expectations of our guests on a local level, with menus that resonate with the local culture and flavors of each community. That also includes serving local communities through our food donation and upskilling programs, which operate in many of our markets, including Italy."

In 2023, KFC opened nearly 2,7000 restaurants across 96 countries, a 10% development pace and setting a brand development record. More than 80% of unit growth came from 15 publicly traded franchisees. KFC accounts for nearly 50% of parent company Yum Brands’ divisional operating growth.

During Yum’s most recent earnings call last month, executives called out several standout markets for the brand. China, India, Thailand, South Africa, and Spain drove KFC's development during 2023 and were part of a group of 15 countries that grew unit count by more than 25 restaurants. Further, KFC plans to enter its 150^th country later this year.

Related:KFC takes the spotlight for Yum Brands’ Q2

The new restaurant in Rome was opened by master franchisee COB S.R.L., which plans to open more than 25 additional KFCs across Italy and surpass 100 units later this year.

Overall, Yum Brands entered 2024 having opened just shy of 10,000 net new units over the past three years and is on its way to reaching 60,000 restaurants this year.

Yum Brands is hardly the only quick-service company targeting ambitious international growth. Late last year, McDonald’s announced it is aiming to have 50,000 restaurants globally by 2027, for instance. In November, Starbucks unveiled its goal of expanding its global footprint to 55,000 units by 2030. And, earlier this month, Inspire Brands marked its 10,000 international location, adding that “a lot of white space” remains for its brands.

Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]