ORGANIC GROWTH
EUROPE “ We made our first store one of the best in the country , and in a few years , we had doubled our weekly sales and had the highest year on year ( YoY ) growth of 12 % over four years ”
— Akram Khan ,
Owner of Gastronomy Foods
stores under his umbrella , seven which are drive-through outlets , the business has acquired a further 22 KFC drive-through outlets at £ 30mn . Now operating 37 KFC ’ s , Gastronomy Foods will aim to build three more by the end of 2018 .
ORGANIC GROWTH
Primarily launching Gastronomy Food ’ s first KFC restaurant in Chingford , East London in 2002 , Khan was always inspired to give back to local communities and enable his workers to succeed .
“ The thing I liked about KFC was the providence . Fresh chicken , handmade , in store . These are the things that really appealed to me . My aspiration was always to be the overseer of 200 people , working in our business ,” he says .
“ I spent five years with that one particular store , starting off doing £ 6k a week in sales . We made the store one of the best in the country , and in a few years , we had doubled our weekly sales and had the highest year on year ( YoY ) growth of 12 % over four years . My operating standards were also one of the highest in the UK and Ireland , and in 2004 and 2005 , I was recognised by YUM ! Brands as ‘ Franchisee of the Year .’
However , in order to develop the brand further , Khan created a shortlist of the franchisees ’ that were planning to retire or sell their stores , targeting all areas in the UK .
“ One guy , based in the Midlands , North Wales wanted to sell . He had seven stores in Shropshire and Shrewsbury and had run the business for over 40 years . The stores all needed work but had great development potential ,” he explains .
Acquiring the seven stores in 2006 , on top of the existing restaurant in Chingford , Gastronomy Foods has slowly built up its portfolio , spanning Rhuddlan , Aberystwyth , Stoke-On-Trent , Holyhead , Shropshire and Shrewsbury .
83 www . fdfworld . com