List of countries with KFC franchises
This is a list of countries with KFC franchises.
As of early 2020, there are KFC outlets in 150 countries and territories in the world. The first KFC franchise opened in the United States in 1952, and in Canada a year later. The first overseas franchise was established in the United Kingdom in 1965. A large number of Caribbean and developed Western markets entered by the early 1970s. This was followed by expansion throughout the Middle East and developed Asian markets from the mid-1970s and into the 1980s. China was entered in 1987. Expansions were made into most of Europe and South America in the early 1990s. The most recent area of expansion is Africa, where the company is targeting the continent's growing middle class.
The major markets for KFC include China, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, Russia, and Thailand.
The global operations are overseen by Yum International, which is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Yum! typically grant a master franchise to a local operator, or take a stake in a joint venture between such a company and itself. In 11 countries, Yum! International manages KFC directly, including China, Russia and India. Worldwide, major franchise holders range from large local conglomerates such as Jardine Matheson and Doosan Group, to companies specifically established to run restaurants franchises, such as AmRest. In Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia, the major franchise holders are publicly listed companies. On the other hand, in smaller markets such as some Caribbean islands, the franchises may be operated by a single individual.
Current markets
Africa
| Country | Yearentered | Owner/major operator | Notes |
| Angola | 2012 | Grupo Ibersol | 55 outlets. First outlet opened in Maianga in Luanda. |
| Botswana | 1992 | Venture Partners Botswana | First outlet opened in Gaborone. Currently 11 outlets. |
| Egypt | 1973 | Americana Group | 156 outlets. |
| Eswatini | 1993 | ? | First outlet opened in Mbabane. Seven outlets. |
| Gabon | 2019 | Resto Group | First outlet opened in Libreville. |
| Ghana | 2011 | Mohinani Group | First outlet opened in Greater Accra. 15 outlets. |
| Ivory Coast | 2018 | ? | KFC opened their first outlet in Ivory Coast in Abidjan, Marcory on 28 March 2018. |
| Kenya | 2011 | Kuku Foods East Africa | First opened, briefly, in the 1970s. Reopened in Nairobi in 2011. 17 outlets. |
| Lesotho | 2012 | KFC South Africa | 5 outlets. |
| Madagascar | 2019 | ? | One outlet in Ankorondrano, Antananarivo |
| Malawi | 2012 | Afribrand Limited | First outlet in Blantyre. 2 outlets. |
| Mauritius | 1983 | Food & Allied Group | First outlet in Curepipe. 21 outlets. |
| Morocco | 2001 | Americana Group | 12 outlets. |
| Mozambique | 2007 | Grupo Ibersol | First outlet opened in Maputo. 10 outlets. |
| Namibia | 1992 | KFC South Africa | 18 outlets. |
| Nigeria | 2009 | Devyani International Nigeria Limited | First branch opened in Lagos in 2009. 27 outlets by 2014. |
| Rwanda | 2020 | ? | First outlet opened in Kigali. |
| Senegal | 2019 | Sedima Group | First outlet opened in Dakar on October 4, 2019. |
| South Africa | 1971 | Yum Restaurants International Ltd | 900 outlets. KFC is by far the fast food chain in South Africa with the most outlets. Divested its holdings from 1987 until 1994 to a holding company after U.S. Congress passed a law forbidding U.S. companies from owning South African assets. KFC sold its assets to Devco, an administrative entity, which managed the trademark. |
| 2019 | Araak Group | 4 outlets in Khartoum and Omdurman. | |
| Tanzania | 2013 | ? | First outlet opened in Dar es Salaam. |
| Tunisia | 2018 | HBG group | 8 outlets in Lac 1, La Marsa, Tunisia Mall, Manar City, Tunis City, Mall of Sousse, Azur City, sousse. |
| Uganda | 2013 | Kuku Foods East Africa | First outlet opened in Kampala. |
| Zambia | 2011 | ? | By the end of 2011, four outlets had been opened in shopping centres in the capital city of Lusaka. |
Asia
| Country | Yearentered | Owner/major operator | Notes |
| Bangladesh | 2006 | Transcom Group | First outlet opened at Gulshan in 2006. As of 2019, there are 23 outlets; 18 in Dhaka, 1 in Chittagong, 1 in Sylhet, 1 in Cox's Bazar, 1 in Bogra and 1 in Khulna. |
| Brunei | 1992 | ? | 15 outlets. |
| China | 1987 | KFC China | KFC's largest market. The first Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet opened on Qianmen Street in downtown Beijing in 1987. 5138 outlets. |
| Cambodia | 2008 | The Royal Group | Established in March 2008. KFC is one of Royal Group of Companies Ltd business, a partnership with the Malaysian QSR brands and Rightlink Corporation.The Royal Group is one of the largest conglomerates in Cambodia with substantial investments in media, telecommunications, banking, education, property development and trading. Cambodia boasts only eleven branches of KFC. Ten of these are clustered in the capital Phnom Penh. |
| Hong Kong | 1973-1975,1985-Present | Birdland Ltd | KFC was the first American fast food chain to enter Hong Kong in 1973, with an outlet in Mei Foo Sun Chuen. There were 11 outlets by mid-1974, but by September 1974 many outlets had closed. The remaining 4 outlets were closed in February 1975. KFC misjudged the local market and failed to develop a suitable business model, with its takeout only stores failing to catch on. Chickens imported from China were fed fishmeal, which ruined the taste. The chain was reintroduced by Swire Group in September 1985, with an outlet opened on Jordan Road, at a cost of $3 million. A second outlet was opened on Causeway Bay in 1986. By 1995 there were 17 outlets. Sold to Birdland in 1997. 163 outlets. |
| India | 1995 | KFC India | KFC opened a two-storey outlet on Brigade Road in Bangalore in June. 372 outlets. |
| Indonesia | 1979 | PT Fastfood Indonesia | First outlet in Jalan Melawai, Jakarta. Listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange. 465 outlets. It is currently owned by PT Indoritel Makmur Internasional, which also owns Indomaret. See |
| Japan | 1970 | KFC Holdings Japan, Ltd | First outlet opened in Kobe. 1181 outlets. |
| Kazakhstan | 2010 | Americana Group | The first restaurant was opened in Astana on 25 October 2010.58 outlets as of January 2020. |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2017 | ? | 3 outlets in Bishkek. |
| Macau | 2001-2009,2010s-Present | ? | This KFC is located in the Galaxy Casino. See |
| Malaysia | 1973 | QSR Brands Holdings Sdn Bhd | The first KFC outlet was opened in 1973 on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman. There are over 700 KFC restaurants as for 2018. Kentucky Nuggets was conceived in Malaysia and then found its way to KFC worldwide. Today, Kentucky Nuggets is one of KFC's successes. KFC led the chained fast food market in 2011, with 45 percent of value sales. |
| Maldives | 2018 | Gama Island Food Pvt Ltd | First outlet opened in Galolhu district of Malè |
| Mongolia | 2013 | Tavan Bogd Group | 17 outlets. See |
| Myanmar | 2015 | ? | One outlet open in Yangon on June 30. 42 outlets by December 23, 2019. |
| Nepal | 2009 | Devyani International | Seven outlets: Six in Kathmandu, at DurbarMargh, Boudha, Thimi, Maharajgunj, Labim Mall, BlueBird mall, Tripureshwar. One in Pokhara. |
| Pakistan | 1997 | Cupola Group | First entered Pakistan in the late 1960s to early 1970s but subsequently closed down. Reopened in Gulshan-e-Iqbal in Karachi in 1997. 86 outlets. |
| Philippines | 1967 | Wholesome Foods Inc | 237 outlets. In June 1994, Manuel U. Agustines obtained the sole franchise over the sale and distribution of KFC products in the Philippines, under the corporate name of Quick Service Restaurants Corporation. |
| Singapore | 1977 | QSR Brands Holdings Sdn Bhd | First outlet opened on Somerset Road in 1977. 40 stores by 1992, when it was acquired by KFC International. In 2002, KFC Singapore was acquired by KFC Holdings Bhd. 83 outlets in 2012.All Singaporean KFC locations are certified ḥalal. |
| South Korea | 1984 | Doosan Group | KFC Korea had a good startoff in the beginning, but has experienced a decline in the mid-2000s. Opening its first store in 1984 in Jongno of the capital Seoul, the outlet number has increased with its 100th store at Mokdong of Seoul, and its 200th store near Seoul University. However, KFC's outlet closed due to failing sales, and dipped to around 120 stores by 2009. As of June 2014, KFC reopened some of its stores and operates 170 outlets in South Korea. |
| Sri Lanka | 1995 | Cargills Ceylon PLC | Currently 39 outlets, with the first outlet opening at Majestic City, Colombo, in 1995. |
| Taiwan | 1985 | Jardine Matheson | Taiwan's first KFC outlet was opened in the Ximending district of Taipei. It was initially a joint venture between KFC and Uni-President Enterprises Corporation, Taiwan's largest food company, until President sold its stake in 1997. Jardine's acquired full control of the poorly performing KFC Taiwan from Yum! in 2010. 135 outlets. |
| Thailand | 1984 | Yum Restaurants International and Central Restaurants Group | Originally opened in 1970 but closed down after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. KFC reopened in Thailand at CentralPlaza Lardprao in Bangkok. In 2014 there were 531 outlets, 60 percent were company owned and 40 percent were owned by CRG. |
| Uzbekistan | 2018 | International Food Chain | First outlet opened in Tashkent. Two outlets. |
| Vietnam | 1997 | KFC Vietnam | First outlet opened in Ho Chi Minh City. Jardine Matheson acquired a 25% stake in the company in 2011. 137 outlets. Euromonitor estimated that KFC has 15% of the fast food market by value in 2011, making it the leading company. |
Caribbean and South America
| Country | Yearentered | Owner/major operator | Notes |
| Antigua and Barbuda | ? | KFC Antigua | 3 branches in Antigua in 2012. |
| Argentina | 2010 | Desarrollos Gastronomicos S.A. | First opened in 1980 but closed in 1990. In 2010, KFC reopened in Buenos Aires. 10 outlets. |
| Aruba | ? | Hucor Holding | Four outlets. |
| Bahamas | 1967 | Myers Group | 9 branches in 2012. |
| Barbados | 1971 | ? | 13 outlets. |
| Bolivia | 2014 | ? | 3 outlets. First Store in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. |
| Bonaire | 1992 | Harborside Foodcourt, NV, Ruth van Tilburg-Obre | One outlet. |
| Brazil | 1973 | Brazil Fast Food Corporation | First entered the market in 1973, but eventually pulled out in 1982. Returned in 1992. The company entered a change in strategy in 1997, when it announced plans to close its 7 urban locations and relocate to 8 shopping centre locations. All stores closed in 2000, but the chain returned in 2008. 44 outlets on States of Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Ceará, São Paulo, Paraná and Distrito Federal. |
| Cayman Islands | 1976 | KFC Cayman | Was the first food franchise in the Caymans. 3 outlets. |
| Chile | 1992 | Desarrollos Gastronomicos S.A. | First store in Santiago. 55 outlets. |
| Colombia | 1993 | INT | 49 outlets. |
| Costa Rica | 1970 | QSR International | First restaurant on Paseo Colon. 32 outlets. |
| Cuba | 2004 | AAFES | One outlet at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. |
| Curacao | ? | Hucor Holding | Seven outlets. |
| Dominica | 2010 | Fine Foods Inc | One outlet. |
| Dominican Republic | 1997 | Kentucky Foods Group Ltd | 34 outlets. See . |
| Ecuador | 1975 | INT Food Services Corp. | First store in Quito. KFC is the largest fast food chain in Ecuador, and it's the KFC's largest market in the region with 150 outlets. |
| El Salvador | 2004 | Corporacion de Franquicias Americanas | 6 outlets. |
| Grenada | ? | ? | 4 outlets. |
| Guadeloupe | ? | ? | 4 outlets. |
| Guatemala | 2009 | ? | 6 outlets. |
| Guyana |
| Didco | First outlet opened in Georgetown. Reached four outlets, but the market was abandoned in 2014. Reopened in 2016. |
| Jamaica | 2010 | Restaurants of Jamaica | First KFC at Kingston. 35 outlets. |
| Honduras | 2004 | Grupo Comidas | First restaurant was in San Pedro Sula. 13 outlets. |
| Martinique | ? | ? | One outlet. |
| Panama | 1969 | Franquicias Panamenas | 30 outlets. |
| Paraguay | 2014 | Southfood S.A. | |
| Peru | 1981 | Delosi | KFC is the oldest and the largest US fast food chain in Peru with 121 outlets. |
| Puerto Rico | 1967 | Encanto Restaurants, Inc | 92 outlets. |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | ? | ? | One outlet. |
| Saint Lucia | ? | ? | Four outlets. |
| Sint Maarten | ? | ? | 3 outlets. |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1986 | Ken Boyea | First outlet opened in Kingstown. 3 outlets. |
| Suriname | 1996 | Cirkel Group | 3 outlets. |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 1973 | Prestige Holdings Limited | First opened in St James, a suburb of Port of Spain. 56 outlets. |
| United States Virgin Islands | ? | ? | 5 outlets. |
| Venezuela | 1973 | ? | 18 outlets. |
Europe
| Country | Yearentered | Owner/major operator | Notes |
| Albania | 2016 | ? | First outlet in Albania opened in Tirana on April 14, 2016 at the Tirana East Gate Mall. The second one opened on October 7, 2016 at the Ish-Blloku. KFC is the first international fast food chain in Albania. |
| Armenia | 2007 | ? | 9 outlets |
| Austria | 2005 | Queensway Restaurants LtdAmRest | First entered the country in 1970 but withdrew. Returned in 2005 with a store in Vienna. 6 outlets as of 2018, with plans to expand to up to 50 the coming years. |
| Azerbaijan | 2011 | AFK Ltd | In October 2012, the world's largest KFC opened in Baku. The 1,600-square-meter outlet, with a seating capacity of 300, is housed in the city's Sabunçu rail station built in 1926. AFK Ltd reportedly invested 3 million euros to restore the nearly destroyed building. 8 outlets. |
| Belarus | 2015 | Bel Food Service LLC, CreativeFood-S-Vostok LLC | 31 outlets as of March 2020. |
| Belgium | 2019 | Autogrill | The first Belgian KFC restaurant opened in Brussels North Railway Station in June 2019. |
| Bulgaria | 1994 | Samex Ltd. | First store opened in Sofia. The first international fast food brand in Bulgaria. 22 outlets. |
| Croatia | 2011 | AmRest | First store opened in Zagreb. 6 outlets in Zagreb, 1 in Split and 1 in Zadar. |
| Cyprus | ? | ? | 27 outlets. |
| Czech Republic | 1994 | AmRest | First outlet in Prague. 88 outlets in July 2018. |
| Denmark | 1992 | ISKEN ApS. | Opened in the 1970s, but later closed. Returned in 1991, with 10 outlets as of 2019. |
| Estonia | 2019 | Apollo Group OÜ | KFC opened first restaurant in Estonia on the 24th of October 2019 in Ülemiste centre. 2 outlets as of November 2019. |
| France | 2001 | KFC France | Opened in 1991, but all seven stores were closed by 1992. Returned in 2001, with 211 outlets in September 2017. |
| Georgia | 2010 | ? | 6 outlets |
| Germany | 1968 | KFC GB Ltd | First restaurant was opened at Hansaallee in Frankfurt in 1968. Struggled to reach 12 stores by 1995. 163 outlets by March 2018, with plans to expand to up to 500 in the next five to seven years. |
| Greece | 1992 | Amex S.A | First outlet in Piraeus near Athens. 8 outlets. |
| Hungary | 1992 | Central European Franchise Group | The store on Király Street in Budapest was the first Central European KFC in a post-communist country. The previous master franchise holder was Hemingway Holding AG. 72 outlets by 2020. |
| Iceland | 1980 | ? | 8 outlets in the Reykjavík area. |
| Ireland | 1971 | KFC Ltd | First opened in Phibsborough shopping centre. Major franchisees include MBCC Foods and Herbel Restaurants Ltd 40 outlets in June 2017. |
| Italy | 2014 | KFC® Italy Srl | Very first outlet opened in Naples in the 1970s, but since closed. Returned on November 21, 2014 with the first restaurant in Rome. 38 outlets in December 2019. See |
| Latvia | 2014 | Yum International | First outlet opened in August 2014 in Riga |
| Lithuania | 2007 | UAB Cibus Restaurants | Four outlets. |
| Malta | 1997 | The Farsons Group | 2 outlets. |
| Moldova | 2008 | US Food Network | First opened in Chișinău in MallDova mall. 2 outlets. |
| Netherlands | 1972 | KFC Netherlands | First branch was opened in Rotterdam in 1972. Headquarters are in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. 54 outlets by June 2017. |
| North Macedonia | 2018 | KAN International | 3 outlets in Skopje and Tetovo. |
| Poland | 1992 | AmRest | 248 outlets as of July 2018. |
| Portugal | 1994 | Grupo Ibersol | 19 outlets in June 2017. |
| Romania | 1998 | Sphera Franchise Group | First opened in Bucharest, Magheru Blvd. 77 outlets as of July 2019. See |
| Russia |
| Yum! International | Opened in Russia in 1993. It closed in 1998, but the chain returned in 2000. Worked under the name Rostik's until 2013. 780 outlets by October 2018. See |
| Serbia | 2007 | AmRest | First store opened in Belgrade. 9 outlets in Belgrade, 2 in Novi Sad and 1 on A1 motorway near Lapovo. |
| Slovakia | 2006 | Queensway Restaurants Slovakia | 4 outlets in June 2017. First restaurant in Trnava. |
| Slovenia | 2018 | AmRest | First store on A1 motorway between Maribor and Šentilj. Opened on new year 2018. |
| Spain | 1970 | AmRest | 100 outlets by June 2017. |
| Sweden | 2014 | Nordic Service Partners | First opened in 1981, but soon withdrew. Returned in 2014 with the first outlet opened in Lockarp near Malmö with a drive-through on December 31, 2014. 9 outlets. |
| Switzerland | 2017 | ? | Present from the 1980s until 2004, but since closed. Returned in 2017 with the first store opened at the main railway station in Geneva on December 5, 2017. 4 locations as of December 2018. |
| Ukraine | 2012 | Global Restaurant Group | In 2012 the first KFC was opened in Kyiv. 30 outlets in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Odesa and Pavlohrad. |
| United Kingdom | 1965 | KFC GB Ltd | First restaurant was located in Preston, Lancashire. 842 outlets, making the United Kingdom KFC's largest market in Europe and fourth largest worldwide. And restaurants ran out of chicken in 2018. |
Middle East
North America
Oceania
| Country | Yearentered | Owner/major operator | Notes |
| American Samoa | 1984 | ? | Had two outlets. Now there is one with a Pizza Hut outlet. |
| Australia | 1968 | KFC Australia Pty Ltd | There are 650 outlets in Australia. The first Australian KFC was built and opened at Guildford in the western suburbs of Sydney. |
| Guam | 1975 | ? | First store in Tamuning. Seven outlets. |
| New Zealand | 1971 | Restaurant Brands | First store opened in Royal Oak, Auckland. 100 outlets in 2013. |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1986 | ? | One outlet in Saipan. |