KFC to Open 500 New Restaurants and Create 7,000 Jobs Across UK and Ireland
KFC has announced a massive £1.49 billion investment plan to expand and upgrade its operations across the UK and Ireland over the next five years. The fast-food chain, celebrating 60 years since opening its first UK restaurant in Preston, aims to open 500 new locations—many in Ireland and the north west of England—and refurbish more than 200 existing ones. This is expected to create over 7,000 jobs, including kitchen staff, managers, and a new “guest experience lead” role.
The investment will be spread across new store builds, job creation, and boosting relationships with long-standing suppliers like McCormick in Buckinghamshire and Pilgrim’s Europe in Warwick. “We’ve never seen such strong demand for freshly prepared, fried chicken as we are seeing today,” said Rob Swain, KFC’s UK and Ireland general manager. The brand currently operates more than 1,000 outlets, most run by franchisees, and employs 33,500 people.
KFC says the UK fried chicken market is now worth £3.1 billion and growing fast, with competitors like Wingstop, Popeyes, and Dave’s Hot Chicken expanding aggressively. Despite the rising competition, KFC remains the dominant player and is “doubling down” on its plans to stay ahead. “We are incredibly well positioned to unlock this opportunity,” said Swain.
