Photo: Ramon Zayas / El Nuevo Día
All KFC and Taco Bell restaurants in Puerto Rico have temporarily closed after parent company Yum! Brands ended its relationship with local franchisee Encanto Restaurants, officials announced Monday, November 2, according to The Associated Press.
The two brands cited a failure to meet their quality standards in brief statements, AP reported. KFC Puerto Rico and Taco Bell Puerto Rico said they are seeking a new franchise partner. No reopening timetable was announced.
KFC told customers it was working to find a partner that would allow its restaurants to reopen, according to Primera Hora, which reproduced the brand’s statement. The chain thanked customers for their loyalty over decades on the island.
The quality-standards explanation is the brands’ account of the split. AP said neither Kentucky-based Yum! Brands nor Encanto Restaurants responded to its requests for comment. The reports did not provide a detailed explanation of the standards at issue.
The closures affect the two chains in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory. They do not represent a shutdown of KFC or Taco Bell elsewhere. A new operator would be needed to resume the local business under the plan described by the brands.
Encanto also operates Pizza Hut and IHOP restaurants on the island, AP reported. The KFC and Taco Bell announcement does not establish that those other brands are closing. This report does not assign a current restaurant or job-loss count to the affected operations.
JBizNews Desk | New York
© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.
