KFC has closed more than 200 restaurants in the U.S. over the past 15 months, despite continued global sales growth. Parent company Yum! Brands attributes this to a business portfolio adjustment and the removal of underperforming branches to focus on international expansion.
On July 15, 2026, at 9:08 AM, Yahoo Finance reported that KFC, the world's largest fried chicken chain, is restructuring its business in the United States by closing more than 200 restaurants in the past 15 months, despite continued global sales growth. This reflects a strategy focused on increasing operational efficiency and expanding into faster-growing international markets.
Data from Yum! Brands, KFC's parent company, indicates that from January 2568 to the end of March 2569, the company closed a total of 207 stores in the United States, while the net number of stores (after deducting new openings) decreased by 187.
These figures differ from a report by the Local Falcon platform, which stated that KFC closed more than 300 stores, because their counts are based on Google Maps data and store identifiers, which may include branches that have relocated or have outdated information. Yum! Brands' figures, however, are based on official company reports.
Although KFC is reducing the number of locations in the United States, the company has not slowed down its expansion. In 2568, KFC plans to open 2,971 new locations internationally, and in the first quarter of 2569, another 643 locations will be opened, reflecting a greater focus on international markets.
KFC projects global sales of $2568 billion in 36,400, up from $34,400 billion the previous year. However, sales in the United States accounted for only 13% of total sales and were down 3% year-on-year. International markets continued to grow, led by China (+6%), Europe (+5%), Asia (+9%), Latin America (+12%), the United Kingdom (+7%), Africa (+10%), and India (+9%).
Scott Mezvinsky, CEO of KFC Global, stated that consumers in the United States are still familiar with the traditional fried chicken menu, while many countries can modernize their brand and store formats faster. He also emphasized that KFC has the potential to expand from over 34,000 stores worldwide to 75,000 stores in the future.
Analysts believe that the mass closures do not reflect a business downturn, but rather a strategy to filter out underperforming branches in order to reallocate investment, personnel, and marketing budgets to more promising branches. This is a common strategy used by major restaurant chains worldwide during periods of cautious consumer spending and intensified competition in the fast-food industry.
Furthermore, the overall quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry in the United States is facing pressure from slowing purchasing power, rising raw material and labor costs, and increased fast food prices, leading consumers to prioritize value for money over price alone. As a result, many brands are scrambling to adjust their strategies to maintain long-term competitiveness.
Reference: finance.yahoo.com
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