Latest news with #KFCs
IOL News
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Kentucky Town is back, bolder than ever
Starting this week, Kentucky Town is going nationwide. And the brand new menu is so extreme that one of the world's leading food influencers is flying in from the US to taste it. Seven bold new tastes will be available on a never-before-and-potentially-never-again menu at 560 KFCs across the country, for a limited time only. The buzz is global: US food influencer Tyshon Lawrence, with 19 million TikTok followers, is flying in to experience the menu after KFC's viral social teasers caught his eye. Joined by DJ Mateki2Shoes, Tyshon will hit the Kentucky Town roadshow engaging fans and tasting these wild creations. Image: Supplied KFC's social teasers about the Kentucky Town menu quickly went viral, and they caught the attention of Tyshon Lawrence, whose TikTok following tops 19 million. Now the 27-year-old will join the former Kentucky Town 'mayor', DJ and designer Mateki2Shoes, on a Kentucky Town roadshow in and around South Ah from 6–8 August. 'South Ah's the home of Kentucky Town, and this menu takes it to a different level. We can't wait to show Tyshon and KFC fans that there are no limits where Kentucky Town is concerned. South Africa is well known for starting trends that break the internet – things like viral dance moves and amapiano – and we fully expect the world to go just as crazy for Kentucky Town as our local fans,' said KFC Africa Chief Marketing and Digital Officer Grant Macpherson. 'Since then, it's been to Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and Bloem – and it's even been exported to Namibia, Thailand and Mauritius – but this Kentucky Town will be the biggest yet.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Kentucky Town has become a phenomenon since the first one in Joburg at the end of 2021. Image: Supplied KFC has partnered with Six Gun Grill spice and Doritos to take the Kentucky Town taste outside the lines. 'The Six Gun Grill Zinger Braai Burger with its blackened bun is one of the heroes of the menu. In his TikTok videos, Tyshon loves to explore local cultures, so we're looking forward to hearing what he makes of this crazy combination of braais and a legendary South African seasoning. Who says you can't braai without a grill? The Doritos Cheezy Nacho Burger and Doritos Cheezy Loaded Fries have an amazing flavour (Doritos can definitely be a topping!), and the Hot Honey Dunked Wings is a sweet-meets-spicy taste explosion – it's like a party in your mouth. The Jalapeno Blaze Double Down, where chicken replaces the burger bun, doubles down on the bunless heat, and the drinks – Chilli Choc Krusher and Cherry Boba Bliss – are so hot they're cool,' said Macpherson. Macpherson added that Tyshon heard about Kentucky Town when he saw the KFC teaser on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. 'He posted a reaction the following day, saying he'd love to taste the menu, and Mateki replied with an invitation. Before we knew it, he was on the plane.' Tyshon and 2Shoes will be tasting the Kentucky Town menu at the Van Der Hoff KFC store in Potchefstroom on Wednesday, in Hartbeespoort, Sediba Mall KFC on Thursday and at the Fourways Crossing KFC in Joburg on Friday. 'This is a great chance for Kentucky Town fans to meet a food super-influencer and get as excited about the new taste on the menu as he is. But most of all we want to hear from South African KFC fans about what they love – and what will keep them coming back for more,' Macpherson concluded.
West Australian
24-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Australia's biggest KFC operator Collins Foods reveals 90pc profit slump
Shares in Collins Foods, the nation's biggest KFC operator, have soared despite the company reporting a near-90 per cent slump in full-year profit as restaurant impairments drag results lower. Collins Foods operates 288 KFCs in Australia, as well as 27 Taco Bells, including all four in WA. The company on Tuesday revealed net profit slumped 88.5 per cent to $8.8 million in the year ended April 27, inclusive of $40.8m in restaurant impairments and a $3.2m provision for potential wage underpayments. Last year's $76.7m result included a $20.2m gain from the sale of its Sizzler Asia arm. Group revenue lifted 2.1 per cent to a record $1.52 billion, with growth in Australia partially offset by softness in Europe. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation hit $228.5m, which was 3.9 per cent ahead of market consensus. Shares in Collins Foods were 16.6 per cent higher at $8.465 just before 10am. KFC Australia was the best performer for the group, delivering a 3 per cent lift in revenue to $1.15b over the period as it benefited from 10 new restaurants, strong digital growth and product innovation. In Europe, where it operates 78 KFCs, revenue of $312.3m was down slightly on the prior year. It booked a $35m impairment in the region. Collins Foods said the result reflected challenging market conditions driven by cost-of-living pressures, the war in Ukraine impacting costs, and the Middle East conflict impacting sentiment towards American brands, primarily in the Netherlands. The company added discussions regarding a potential sale of the Taco Bell chain in Australia — first flagged in April — were ongoing. It intends to complete the process within the next 12 months. 'While trading conditions were subdued, particularly in the first half, the strength of the KFC brand held firm,' Collins Foods managing director Xavier Simonet said. 'Market share increased in both Australia and the Netherlands, underpinned by improvements in brand health, compelling marketing campaigns, product innovation, everyday value initiatives and a heightened focus on operational excellence. 'Encouragingly, tax cuts and lower interest rates are beginning to support improvements in consumer sentiment, with same store sales improving in the second half in Australia and the Netherlands.' Mr Simonet said tax cuts and lower interest rates were starting to help improve consumer sentiment, with sales at KFC Australia up 4.9 per cent in the first eight weeks of the new financial year. Collins Foods trimmed its final dividend to 15¢ a share, compared with 15.5¢ last year.
BBC News
23-02-2025
- BBC News
Koh Mak: The tiny island that's redefining travel to Thailand
With season three of The White Lotus drawing fresh waves of visitors to the already bustling shores of Phuket and Koh Samui, a very different story is unfolding across the Gulf of Thailand. As season three of The White Lotus prepares to thrust Thailand's islands into the global spotlight, drawing fresh waves of visitors to the already bustling shores of Phuket and Koh Samui, a very different story is unfolding across the Gulf of Thailand. Here, a speck of an island named Koh Mak has quietly positioned itself as a model for sustainable tourism, offering a rare vision of what the future of travel in Thailand could be. Heading towards Koh Mak's southern shores by speedboat, my first impression was disarmingly simple: golden sand curving into clear shallows while coconut palms leaned towards the sea as though caught mid-bow. There were no high-rises, no blaring beach clubs. Instead, low-slung bungalows peeked through the trees and bicycles outnumbered cars on the island's quiet roads. I checked into the Makathanee Resort next to the jetty and studied a map to get my bearings. Just 16 sq km in size, Koh Mak is flat apart from a few gentle hills, perfect for exploring by bike. Eager to tap into the island's slow rhythm, I pedalled north-east through plantations of rubber trees and coconut palms to Laem Son beach. Here, I found little more than a shack made of coconut trunks and fronds and a few deck chairs facing a blissfully empty stretch of sand. I ordered a coconut shake and enjoyed a delicious half hour soaking up the silence before heading across to the settlement of Ao Suan Yai. Even here, there was little to detract from the island's natural beauty, just several tastefully designed, low-key resorts tucked away behind a white-sand beach and a line of palms all leaning at the same angle towards the sea. As I completed my brief tour, I was amazed to realise that during my bike ride I had seen no international hotels or shopping malls, no McDonalds or KFCs and not a single 7-Eleven, which seem to be on every street corner throughout the rest of Thailand. Promoted by the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) as the country's first low-carbon destination, Koh Mak has become a testing ground for how small islands can thrive without sacrificing their soul to mass tourism. Unlike its larger, better-known neighbours – party-friendly Koh Chang to the north and exclusive Koh Kood to the south – Koh Mak is charting a slower, quieter course. Its approach, driven by the island's long-time landowning families, has earned international recognition for sustainable tourism. But it is the lived reality that truly sets it apart. This is not an island clinging to an imagined past; it's one that is actively shaping a different kind of future. While many Thai islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Thai government, Koh Mak remains in the hands of five families, descendants of a civil servant named Luang Prompakdee who purchased the island's coconut plantations in the early 20th Century. Yodchai Sudhidhanakul, president of the Koh Mak Tourism Club and one of Prompakdee's descendants, told me that this tight-knit ownership structure has been key to protecting the island's tranquil character and encouraging slow tourism. "It's not that we don't want tourists; in fact, many residents depend on tourism," Sudhidhanakul said. "But we hope to attract a particular type of visitor – those who are respectful of others and appreciate the benefits of a quiet life." In 2018, residents formalised their vision in the Koh Mak Charter. The agreement bans vehicle ferries from docking at the island, restricts motorbike rentals to 70% of room capacity, prohibits loud music after 22:00 and noisy water sports like jet skis, and bans the use of foam or plastic containers. "We never worried about overtourism," said Sudhidhankul, "as our available accommodation has remained at a steady 750 rooms, but we wanted to be part of the low-carbon initiative. Thus, most resort owners use renewable energy where possible and make efforts to recycle and dispose of waste responsibly." This ethos extends beyond policy. Local initiatives like the Koh Mak Coral Conservation Group offer snorkelling trips where visitors can learn how to propagate corals using recycled PVC pipes. Waste disposal is a collective effort, with regular beach cleanups coordinated by Trash Hero, a voluntary group with the motto, "Every week we clean, we educate, we change". And at the island's coconut plantation, visitors can learn how to harvest coconuts and make cold-pressed coconut oil, while tie-dye workshops teach traditional fabric-dyeing techniques using natural pigments. More like this:• Measuring the 'White Lotus effect': How TV and film locations impact travel• Here's where Asia's best female chef goes for pad Thai in Bangkok• Thailand's cooling rice dish to beat the heat I spent the next few days earnestly practising slow-life activities: reading in a hammock, snoozing in a deck chair, swimming and taking long walks along the beach looking for shells. Unfortunately, most of what I found would only be of interest to the Trash Heroes – plastic bottles, old shoes and torn fishing nets. There were plenty of other activities to choose from, including diving and snorkelling trips, kayaking, paddle boarding, classes in massage and cooking, Thai boxing and yoga. I took part in a game of disc golf (aka frisbee golf) and joined a tie-dyeing workshop, where I made a shirt that gave me a great sense of accomplishment. Workshop leader Rodjamarn Sirirut showed us a display of more than 20 natural dyes made from local plants such as indigo, malabar, mango, mangosteen and coconut shell; impressive evidence of the island's natural diversity. These pursuits made a change from lounging at swim-up pool bars or stuffing myself at buffets as I might have done if I had been staying at an international resort. One day I joined a snorkelling trip to Koh Rang, an island to the west of Koh Mak that is part of the Koh Chang Marine National Park. On the boat I chatted with Rong Rong Zhu, a former research scientist in the US who now spends most of her time on Koh Mak. "When I travelled in Asia in 2018, I found Koh Mak to be a very walkable and bike-friendly island," she said. "I was able to rent a house with a beautiful view and now I have many digital nomad friends who spend half the year here." Koh Mak is not immune to the challenges facing small islands. Plastic debris still washes up on its shores, swept in by ocean currents. And while the island's co-working hub, Koh Mak Campus, set up by Sudhidhanakul in 2020, encourages longer stays and digital nomads, balancing tourism and development remains a delicate task. "We want to attract seasonal inhabitants, and we need to develop more expertise in the use of renewable energy." Sudhidhanakul told me. Yet, as I slipped into the island's rhythm – cycling from one beach to another, sipping coconut shakes under palm trees and chatting with residents who spoke of their home with both pride and protectiveness – it became clear that Koh Mak offers something increasingly rare in Thailand. It is a reminder that a different kind of tourism is possible, one that doesn't require sacrificing a place's spirit for progress. As the speedboat carried me back towards the busy mainland, I found myself hoping that Koh Mak's quiet revolution might inspire others to follow its lead. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
