Business

Wednesday April 1, 2009

KFC and QSR investing RM48mil in new outlets

By ZAZALI MUSA


Deputy chairman: Downturn not a reason to hold back expansion

JOHOR BARU: KFC Holdings (M) Bhd (KFCH) and QSR Brands Bhd will invest a total of RM48mil to open more KFC and Pizza Hut outlets this year.

The companies’ deputy chairman Ahamad Mohamad said the current economic downturn was not a reason to hold back their expansion programmes in Malaysia.

“In fact, Malaysia is not badly affected as perceived by many earlier on and customers still patronise our outlets,’’ he told a press conference at the launch of the QSR corporate responsibility initiative “Hands to Heal’’ for the mentally retarded yesterday.

He said the companies viewed the downturn positively and believed that there were actually opportunities to further strengthen their position in the country’s fast food business.

Jamaludin Md Ali (left) and Ahamah Mohamad at the launch

KFCH would spend RM30mil to open 40 KFC outlets while QSR would invest RM18mil on 15 Pizza Hut outlets, Ahamad said, adding that most of them would be located in secondary towns and new housing schemes within suburban areas nationwide.

“Apart from introducing new dishes regularly, we are also reducing our prices to let more customers enjoy our food during the slowdown,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, KFCH managing director Jamaludin Md Ali said the company had three community service restaurants fully manned by 50 speech- and hearing-impaired staff.

The outlets are in Sentul, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching and the company plans to open similar outlets in other towns in the future.

Jamaludin said customers at the three restaurants fully supported the initiative taken by the company to employ these people.

“Our speech- and hearing-impaired employees had proven that they are equally hardworking and willing to learn like their able-bodied counterparts,’’ he said.

 
KFC :  [Stock Watch]  [News] 
QSR :  [Stock Watch]  [News]


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