Latest news with #restaurantgrowth
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Jobs and drive-throughs for Ireland as part of €1.8bn KFC investment
US fast food chain KFC has said it plans to create 7,000 new jobs in the UK and Ireland with an investment of €1.77 billion over the next five years. Ireland-specific job numbers were not available. Much of the investment will go toward opening new restaurants as well as drive-throughs in 'key locations' in Ireland and north west England where it has identified strong potential for growth. The new jobs will be created in its supply chain, accounting for €695 million of the total outlay. They will be a combination of customer-facing, kitchen-based and management jobs as well as a newly created 'guest experience lead role' tasked with improving customer experience. The investment forms part of KFC's ambition to 'become the fastest growing restaurant brand for the next generation', with a further 500 restaurants planned over the next decade. Chicken, gravy and salad supplies are all to be sourced from companies across the UK. READ MORE Rob Swain, general manager of KFC UK & Ireland, said the company had been serving customers in the UK for 60 years. 'We're doubling down on our commitment to the UK&I with a major investment in our restaurants, and in the suppliers who have been so crucial to our success.'
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
5 burger chains rapidly growing across the US
The fast food landscape isn't entirely in decline. Even though inflation has curbed customer spending and some brands are shuttering restaurants or declaring bankruptcy, others are forging ahead with aggressive expansion plans. Burgers remain a staple of the American diet, and several burger-focused chains are meeting that demand by opening new locations at a fast pace. Here are seven burger joints that are thriving and growing, defying the industry downturn. In-N-Out The iconic West Coast brand In-N-Out is preparing to open seven more restaurants in 2025. Locations include Indio, Modesto, Monrovia, and Sylmar in California; Surprise, Arizona; Brighton, Colorado; and its first-ever Washington state outlet in Ridgefield. Shake Shack Freddy's Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, already boasting over 550 outlets, intends to expand to 800 by the end of 2026. The brand's consistent growth can be attributed to its steadfast commitment to delivering high-quality food and a memorable guest experience. Whataburger Whataburger's growth strategy is all about maintaining standards. The Texas-based favorite is bringing eight new stores to North Carolina alone. 'We're very intentional. Each year, we revisit our five-year expansion roadmap. We ask where we can grow responsibly while staying true to our fresh, never-frozen beef philosophy,' said CEO Debbie Stroud in an interview with QSR. Culver's Culver's, a fan-favorite known for its premium offerings, launched 53 new restaurants in 2024 and is planning 55 more in 2025. The chain continues to grow steadily by emphasizing high-quality ingredients and made-to-order meals that set it apart from typical fast food.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Burrito seller Tortilla Mexican Grill enjoys rebound in UK trade
Tortilla Mexican Grill's boss has hailed 'good progress' following a significant rebound in domestic like-for-like sales. The fast food chain revealed its comparable UK revenues improved from a 6 per cent drop in March 2024 to 6 per cent growth by December. They also expanded by 5.9 per cent in the first quarter of this year, outperforming the wider British restaurant sector by eight percentage points, and are up 6.2 per cent so far during the second quarter. While Tortilla's total like-for-like revenues marginally fell, its overall turnover increased by 3.5 per cent to £68million. The London-based firm said trading benefited from the addition of one UK company-owned site and a 'strong contribution' from its franchise sites, including those at travel hubs run by Upper Crust owner SSP. Tortilla's trade further benefited from the takeover of Fresh Burritos, the largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant group in France and the second-biggest in Europe. The £3.3million acquisition included 13 firm-owned leasehold restaurants operating across Paris and other big French cities, and 18 franchised locations. Due to costs related to buying Fresh Burritos, Tortilla's annual net losses tripled to £3.3million, with a further impact from impairments on some UK stores. Andy Naylor, chief executive of Tortilla, said: 'I am pleased to report good progress over the last 12 months towards our strategic goal of becoming a pan-European fast casual Mexican restaurant business.' Tortilla has continued to open stores with its franchise partners despite the subdued economic backdrop, including at Victoria and Liverpool Street stations in London, as well as Dubai's Silicon Central Mall and Circle Mall. It also launched a new central kitchen in Lille, which is three times the size of its UK facility, three months ago to help serve its venues at scale across France. While complex planning approval processes have stymied the firm's store conversion efforts in France, Naylor told investors that most French Burritos outlets will be converted to Tortilla by the end of 2025. Naylor replaced Richard Morris as Tortilla's boss in April 2024 after serving seven years as its chief financial officer. Tortilla was founded in 2007 by the Californian Brandon Stephens after he became frustrated at the lack of places selling high-quality burritos and tacos in London. Tortilla Mexican Grill shares were 1.2 per cent lower at 37.3p on late Wednesday afternoon and have contracted by around 28 per cent this year.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Restaurant Brands Asia Ltd (BOM:543248) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Growth ...
Total Store Count: 513 stores at the end of FY25, with an annual growth of 58 stores. Quarterly Revenue: INR 489 crores for Q4 FY25, representing an 11.5% year-on-year growth. Full Year Revenue: INR 1,968 crores for FY25, with an 11.8% year-on-year growth. Same-Store Sales Growth (SSSG): 5.1% for Q4 FY25 and 1.1% for the full year. Company-Level EBITDA: INR 26.6 crores for Q4 FY25, up from INR 10.6 crores in the same quarter last year. Full Year EBITDA: INR 99.4 crores for FY25, a 32% increase from the previous year. Gross Margin: 67.7% for FY25, up from 67% in the previous year. Indonesia Store Count: 143 Burger King stores and 25 Popeyes stores at the end of FY25. Indonesia Revenue: INR 269.3 billion for the full year. Indonesia Same-Store Sales Growth (SSSG): Positive 2% for the full year. General & Administrative Expenses Reduction: Reduced from INR 65 crores to a run rate of INR 40 crores. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with BOM:543248. Release Date: May 19, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Restaurant Brands Asia Ltd (BOM:543248) reported a 9% growth in dining traffic, driven by successful value campaigns. The company has expanded its cafe presence to 90% of its restaurants, up from 77% the previous year. Digital initiatives have been successful, with 90% of restaurants now equipped with self-ordering kiosks and a 3x increase in app transactions. The company achieved a 32% year-over-year growth in company-level EBITDA, reaching INR99.4 crores. In Indonesia, the company reported a positive 2% same-store sales growth for Burger King, indicating a potential turnaround in the market. Despite adding 250 to 270 stores since FY22, the average daily sales (ADS) have remained stagnant, indicating challenges in increasing per-store sales. The Indonesia business continues to face challenges, with restaurant-level pre-investment margins declining year-over-year. Inflation in beef prices and currency devaluation have negatively impacted the profitability of the Indonesia operations. The company has had to close 36 restaurants in Indonesia as part of its rationalization efforts, indicating ongoing operational challenges. There is uncertainty regarding the long-term strategic direction for the Indonesia business, with potential divestment being considered. Q: Despite adding numerous stores and cafes, why has the Average Daily Sales (ADS) remained stagnant? A: Rajeev Varman, Group CEO, explained that maintaining previous year's sales in a challenging environment is significant. The focus has been on driving profitable sales and optimizing delivery profitability, which has improved by 1%. The cafe business is new and growing, with restaurants opened in FY23 and FY24 showing incremental ADS growth. The strategy includes spreading out restaurant openings to capture more sales earlier. Q: What is the strategy to increase Average Per Customer (APC) values to boost ADS? A: Rajeev Varman stated that while traffic remains a key focus, there is a strategic plan to address APC values, which will be evident in upcoming initiatives. Innovation and continued traffic growth are central to this strategy. Q: With geopolitical tensions affecting Indonesia, what is the breakeven point, and is cash breakeven achievable this year? A: Rajeev Varman noted that positive sales trends are emerging, with dine-in ADS increasing by 10%. Cost reductions have lowered the breakeven point, and the company is working towards stopping losses, with a focus on returning to pre-geopolitical sales levels. Q: Is the recent growth in the QSR sector due to market demand or company-specific strategies? A: Rajeev Varman attributed growth to long-term strategic execution, including value propositions, cafe expansion, and innovation. The company has seen significant traffic growth over the past two years, driven by these strategies. Q: How has cost control been managed in India despite adding new stores? A: Rajeev Varman explained that various initiatives, such as utility cost reductions and self-ordering kiosks, have contributed to cost control. New restaurants take time to reach average ADS, and efficiencies are being implemented across the board. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Wall Street Journal
15-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Cava Stockpiles Equipment So It Can Keep on Building
Restaurant chain Cava has amassed a mountain of kitchen equipment to ensure it can keep up its aggressive growth plan this year despite tariffs. The fast-casual chain late last year purchased equipment for the dozens of new restaurants it expects to build this year, aiming to avoid tariff-related costs or other disruptions. CEO Brett Schulman said that foresight helped the chain slightly lift its expectations for new restaurants this year, to 64 to 68 additions. Schulman expects to maintain Cava's capital investments, and while construction costs remain manageable so far, the uncertain business climate persists. 'These things change by the hour,' Schulman said Thursday in an interview.
