EG Group acquires 52 KFC restaurants

Petrol station forecourt operator EG Group has acquired 52 KFC restaurants in the UK from Amsric Group.

The deal includes a mix of drive-through and eat-in restaurants across the south and south west regions, employing more than 1,600 staff.

Once completed it will mean EG Group, which is owned by the billionaire Issa brothers, is the largest KFC franchisee in western Europe, operating a total of 220 sites in Europe and the UK.

EG Group bought 146 KFC restaurants and one Pizza Hut store, as well as a number of sites in development, from Herbert Group in March 2020.

In a statement, Mohsin and Zuber Issa said the Amsric deal complimented their “long-term growth plans” for the foodservice business.

They added: “Even during the pandemic, KFC moved quickly to assess and adapt in order to embrace the rapidly evolving environment. We have seen a marked upward trend in the performance of our existing KFC network and this has given us confidence to consider and invest in more assets.”

EG Group bought the 70-strong Leon restaurant brand in April and are planning to open around 20 new restaurants a year from 2022, including multiple drive-through locations.

The Issas also acquired supermarket chain Asda for £6.8b this year and own the Stanley House Hotel & Spa in Lancashire. They made an unsuccessful bid to take over Caffè Nero last year.