KFC is here, so what?

You’ve heard the chatter already, haven’t you? The Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise has opened shop at the Junction Mall. The launch night attracted thousands of Nairobi residents who formed long queues out into the stairwell of the mall. A source hinted that the opening night grossed an astonishing Ksh. 2.5million (approximately $28,000), which is probably a record of sorts.

A week later, the queues are still there, customers keen to re-discover meals they had eaten abroad. For the majority though, it was a first visit to sample an iconic American brand that has chosen Nairobi to establish a footprint in East Africa. Customers flocked to The Junction from the first day, without the franchise having to put up any sort of advertisement. Away from the buzz, there were quite a number of issues raised. KFC was dismissed by many as being too expensive.

Additionally, consumers drew comparisons with the more familiar local Kenchic franchise. Granted, menu options at KFC are largely in the Ksh500 – Ksh700 range, which puts most of its product in an expensive consumer bracket, but they are not intent on competing with Kenchic regulars at those prices. However, the opening of the fast food (low-end by US restaurant measures) in an upscale Nairobi mall was a global eye opener.

Fast, mainly fried, foods are regarded as unhealthy but they remain popular because of their low prices, speedy service (you don’t even have to get out of your car), taste and location choices fit into the lifestyles of many busy Americans. But it’s a known fact that Americans don’t live healthy. Here in Kenya, people are flocking to the Junction, including parents who are prodded by their kids. While red flags have been raised by health practitioners that consumers in poorer countries are increasingly making (western influenced) food and lifestyle choices that are unhealthy, many parents figure that a once-a-week, or month, indulgence in fast food is a harmless treat, similar to an excursion to The Village Market.

But the most profound story about KFC is in their processes, which include the people, the ingredients, the systems and standards. The selection of staff was done in South Africa and the staff went through at least three interviews. The managers selected had to attend training in South Africa on the fast food processes.

One important attribute was understanding the operation, which perhaps entailed the need to do menial jobs like cleaning the tables. The foods mainly consist of chickens supplied by Kenchic and potatoes imported from Egypt. With systems and standards, there was the need to deliver the worldwide fast food consistency similar to a US KFC. And by deploying expensive heating machines, the franchise partners have been able to deliver close to the target of 90 seconds per meal.

However, with the issue of chips, the need to have consistent, speedy and availability meant they would have to go with frozen varieties. Perhaps in a few months, a Kenyan food processor will be able to handle such an order, but for now it seems KFC had to start with Egyptian partners. Most interesting, is the robust food processing exports that originate out of Egypt, which is an eye-opener for anyone in Kenya who believes that Kenya’s agriculturally-suited economy is superior to Egypt’s, which is basically a desert reliant on the Nile River for irrigation.

For KFC, they have had tremendous recent success in Nigeria and saw a need to capitalize on the growing middle class appetites in Africa. The opening of KFC Nairobi also coincided with one in Accra, Ghana, where the same chicken baskets there

are sold at 50 cedi, which is equivalent to about Kshs. 2,700!

So what’s next for KFC and their local franchise partners who were able to surpass the stringent standards and deliver KFC ‘quality’ meals and have record customers without any major negative publicity? Well, for a start they will take the KFC standard recipe, and their lessons learnt, to the Galleria mall Nairobi, the ground zero of fast food in Kenya. Watch this bird. But can it fly?

Bankelele is a Kenyan blogger focusing mainly on Finance, Information, Technology, and Investment. Visit his blog at: bankelele.blogspot.com

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