International franchising at Yum!—in more than 110 countries

Nation's Restaurant News,  Oct 15, 2007  

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International growth is one of Yum! Brands' key business strategies. The company operates in more than 110 countries and territories, with established supply chains, and has more than 750 international franchise partners. The company expects 2007 to be its eighth consecutive year of opening more than 700 new restaurants outside the U.S. and China.

Supporting this development, Yum! has created global systems and tools designed to improve marketing, operations consistency, product delivery, market planning and development for its international franchisees. All this comes with a strong emphasis on franchise support, with its signature store-level team building capabilities.

"Franchising is one of the best business models," says Amgad Al Mofti, whose Americana franchise owns 352 KFCs and 119 Pizza Huts throughout the Middle East. Mofti has operated these brands for more than 30 years. "Leveraging proven know-how and the power of a global brand and being part of one system has its merit," he said.

Over the years, Mofti has seen many positive changes within the parent company. "Yum! has always been, especially in the last 10 years, a learning organization that listens to its partners around the world," said Mofti. "I believe it's a two way exchange process. We have also learned a lot from Yum!."

Mofti added, "I think our partnership has evolved to a strong friendship with many of Yum!'s leaders across the globe, particularly David Novak. David believes in key strategies, that any franchisee, who achieved the right economics, will continue growing his business. He also believes in building personal relationships with his franchisees globally which is key to his success as a leader."

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