KFC is making a bold move to strengthen its position in the competitive fast-food market, announcing plans to create 7,000 new jobs across the UK and Ireland. The chicken giant is investing £1.5 billion over five years to open 500 new restaurants and upgrade existing locations, with a focus on key areas including Ireland and northwest England – where the chain first opened its doors in Preston six decades ago.
The expansion comes as rival chicken chains like Wingstop, Popeyes, and Dave’s Hot Chicken make aggressive moves into the British market. Wingstop recently sold its UK operations for £400 million while planning 20 new locations, and Popeyes has grown to 65 outlets after a rapid expansion last year. Even with this growing competition, KFC remains the dominant player in Britain’s £2.4 billion fried chicken market.
The new jobs will span various roles from kitchen staff to managers, with KFC receiving about 500,000 applications annually. While the company promotes 2,000 employees to management each year, recruitment faces challenges from rising labor costs. Recent increases to the National Minimum Wage and National Insurance contributions have added pressure, with KFC’s UK general manager Rob Swain calling the latest hike “bigger than we were expecting.”
Beyond new locations, KFC is investing in its supply chain to strengthen partnerships with key UK suppliers like Pilgrim’s Europe and McCormick. This massive expansion signals KFC’s determination to maintain market leadership as consumer appetite for fried chicken continues growing across Britain and Ireland.
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