KFC £1.5 billion investment to open 500 new restaurants across UK

KFC has announced plans to invest nearly £1.5 billion into its UK and Ireland chain by opening 500 more restaurants in the next ten years, as it said demand for fried chicken is stronger than it's ever been. The fast-food giant said the expansion is expected to create 7,000 new jobs. KFC's plans form part of new growth ambitions as the chain looks to expand its reach across the nation and put money into its existing locations.

It is set to spend about £466 million on opening new restaurants, with a focus on building flagship sites and drive-thrus in places like Ireland and the North West of England where it can tap into growing demand. The cash will also go toward upgrading more than 200 existing restaurants, representing about a fifth of its entire chain, with a new design and the latest digital features. KFC says on its website that it is offering up to a £20,000 'finder's fee' to landlords and property experts who introduce a site it can build on.

The expansion will result in about 7,000 new jobs being created across the UK and Ireland business and its supply chain, over the next five years, according to the group. This will include jobs in restaurants and as managers, kitchen-based jobs, and a newly-created 'guest experience' role across the chain. It currently has more than 1,000 restaurants in the UK and Ireland and hires about 30,000 staff. Investment is also earmarked for KFC's suppliers, including spending on fresh chicken, gravy, and salads. Rob Swain, KFC UK and Ireland's general manager, said: 'We've been serving customers in the UK for 60 years now, but we've never seen such strong demand for freshly prepared, fried chicken as we're seeing today.'

He added that the company was 'doubling down' on its commitment to the UK and Ireland with its £1.49 billion total investment. The new fried chicken branches will be competing with the likes of McDonald's, Morley's, Chicken Cottage and Popeyes. Last year, MailOnline revealed how Britain's highstreets were becoming overrun with fried chicken joints.

In south London, a single stretch of road has a staggering 29 fried chicken shops, making it the biggest street in the UK for the fast food item. McDonald's is the largest US chain selling fried chicken in the UK, with 1,442 stores opened since it came over from America in 1974.

This is closely followed by KFC, which has 1,040 branches in the UK and came over even earlier in 1965. With a staggering 12 fried chicken shops within a stretch of just under two miles, Streatham High Road is home to almost every famous chicken shop brand, from Morley's to Chicken Cottage. And if you were to continue straight down the connecting London Road through to West Croydon, you would be able to spot a further 17 shops selling the fried goods. In short, this means you will pass a shocking 29 fried chicken shops on the single stretch of road from Streatham Hill to West Croydon without turning left or right, according to the Local Data Company. And that is without accounting for the dozens more chicken shops that lay just off the main road.

Since its first store was founded in Sydenham by Sri Lankan Tamil immigrant Kannalingam Selvendran in 1985, the Morley's brand has grown to become one of the most well-known, with nearly 100 branches across London. The demand for fried chicken has likely also grown with the influence of social media personalities and celebrity endorsements. Sidemen, the YouTube group popular among teens, sent fans into a frenzy when they opened their own fried chicken chain Sides in 2021.

And Amelia Dimoldenburg's wildly successful Chicken Shop Date series, where she dines with celebrities at local fried chicken shops, is bound to have furthered demand for the already popular fast-food.

Among the run of famous faces who have featured in her series - which began with her interviewing up-and-coming grime artists back in 2014- include Billie Eilish, Daniel Kaluuya, and most recently A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. The Deadpool & Wolverine stars also recently featured on US YouTube talk show Hot Ones with host Sean Evans, where guests answer questions as they eat spicy chicken wings.