Hot and spicy fried chicken and a cup of tuna corn salad may not be on the average Isan menu, but the fast-food chain KFC hopes to change that through a new approach targeting the Northeast. Yum Restaurants International (Thailand), which operates KFC in Thailand, recently set up a regional office in Nakhon Ratchasima to connect with Isan customers and learn about tastes of northeastern consumers.
”Local store marketing became an important strategy this year. So, it is necessary to decentralise our operational structure to help regional managers to understand local customers,” said Sran Smutkochorn, the company’s managing director.
”The new operations management system, which has been adopted from KFC China, will help us to gain access to customers faster,” Mr Sran said.
He said KFC China adopted its innovative management system five years ago. It was very successful and contributed to KFC China becoming the world’s fastest-growing fast-food restaurant brand. KFC China has three times more restaurants than its rival McDonald’s.Even though KFC Thailand already has 307 locations covering 56 provinces, the company’s new operational system will help company sales over the next three to five years and bring the number of stores to 450-500 outlets,” Mr Sran said.
He insisted that despite the country’s economic and political troubles, KFC will continue to invest in the Thai market. Its plans include spending 400-500 million baht per year from 2007-10 to open new outlets.
”Excluding China, Thailand is the only Asian country where Yum Restaurants invests its own money,” said Mr Sran.
Yum owns 58% of KFC restaurants, with the remainder owned by Central Food Restaurants Group.
He said that KFC Malaysia operated a total of 400 outlets, serving a population of 20 million.
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