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After almost four decades away, the American fast-food chain KFC is returning to Norway. The comeback starts with the takeover of the local restaurant chain Fly Chicken by Estonia’s Apollo Group, KFC’s official franchisee in the region.
The total investment is estimated at around EUR 20 million. It covers the purchase of Fly Holding AS from its previous owners – the Sandvik family, Knut Nikolai Tønnevold Ugland and CEO Ronny Gjøse – as well as the gradual rebranding and further development of the restaurants.
The end of a long absence
Norway has been one of the last big gaps on KFC’s European map, even though the brand has operated in the neighbouring Nordic countries for years. The chain pulled out of Norway after a failed expansion attempt in the 1980s.
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For decades, a return was held back by Norway’s exceptionally strict rules on meat quality and origin, high operating and labour costs, and strong competition from McDonald’s, Burger King and Sweden’s Max Burgers.
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Instead of building a network from the ground up, Apollo Group bought Fly Chicken – a Norwegian fried-chicken brand founded in 2018. In its last financial year the chain generated NOK 155 million in revenue (about EUR 14 million) and built a strong position in food delivery.
The company employs more than 170 people across 19 locations, including Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger and Lillestrøm. Most of them will switch to the KFC brand over the coming years. No jobs will be cut, and Ronny Gjøse stays on as managing director to lead the transformation.
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“Growing Fly Chicken to, say, 50 restaurants on our own would have been extremely difficult. With KFC we gain a powerful platform and the backing of one of the biggest players in the world,” Ronny Gjøse told Norwegian media.
Apollo Group’s Nordic expansion
For Estonia’s Apollo Group, Norway is the fifth KFC market. The company already runs 38 KFC restaurants in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland.
“Norway is a market with high purchasing power, a stable economy and a fast-growing delivery sector. We see huge growth potential here, combining our group’s international experience with the local know-how of the Fly Chicken team,” said Toomas Tiivel, CEO of Apollo Group.
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The first KFC restaurant opens on 23 November at Storo
The wait is over. Norway’s first KFC restaurant opens on Monday 23 November at Storo in Oslo – in the former Fly Chicken premises, with seats for up to 40 guests. Norway is one of the first markets in Europe to get KFC’s next-generation restaurant concept, with a refreshed visual identity, modern design and a menu with Norwegian touches.
KFC Oslo City follows just a week later, with more openings in Oslo before Christmas. From the new year, the chain will expand to the rest of the country. All former Fly Chicken staff are moving to KFC, and the company is also hiring.
The menu includes the famous “bucket” of fried chicken, alongside KFC’s international classics, local ingredients and Fly Chicken favourites such as the Superfly signature sandwich and loaded chicken fries.
“Opening our first KFC restaurant in Norway is a big milestone, but it is only the start of our journey,” says Ronny Gjøse, managing director of KFC Norge.
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