Taking over the franchise, Apollo Group will open a new-concept KFC restaurant at Akropole

This July, a new-concept KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) restaurant will open its doors at the Akropole shopping and entertainment centre, becoming the chain’s second branch in Riga. The franchise’s new owners, the Estonian company Apollo Group, which also owns several other successful brands in the Baltics, promise restaurant visitors an unprecedented customer service experience, and the number of KFC restaurants in Latvia is planned to triple in the coming years. The company is currently actively seeking new employees who, after completing professional training, will soon fill some of the many available positions.

The new restaurant’s interior will be designed in a modern style and light colours, while embodying the distinctive values of a classic American diner associated with KFC. It will have 75 seats, complemented by digital menus, self-service checkouts and free drink-refill stations. In addition to KFC’s famous chicken wings, the restaurant’s menu will also offer a variety of other popular dishes, ranging from snacks and sandwiches to chicken meal baskets and desserts, prepared using carefully selected ingredients and adhering to the highest quality standards.

Significantly, in order to develop the KFC brand in the Baltic region, the KFC restaurant chain under the Apollo Group umbrella will henceforth be managed in the Baltics by Marius Stonkus, who has experience running various international companies. Under his supervision, particular attention will also be devoted to training new and existing employees abroad with leading professionals in the industry. Within the next few years, a training centre is also planned to be established in the Baltics, where customer service standards will be learned by waiters and shift supervisors, as well as restaurant managers and their assistants. New restaurants are primarily planned for capital cities, but Stonkus is also optimistic about expanding into nearer and more distant regions elsewhere in Latvia and the Baltics.

“KFC is a strong international brand that is currently experiencing rapid growth worldwide, opening several thousand new restaurants every year in more than 136 countries, and it is a great pleasure that it is becoming increasingly accessible to Riga’s residents and visitors as well. Our goal is to offer visitors excellent service and consistently delicious meals to enjoy both every day and on special occasions. Together with Yum! Brands (KFC), Apollo Group already owns four KFC restaurants in the Baltics, and in each city we take special care to uphold the highest quality standards, investing in the professional growth of our employees and preparing food according to the original recipes, so that KFC is a place people want to return to and where they can also build a successful career. People will always be our priority,” comments Marius Stonkus, KFC CEO in the Baltic states.

It is expected that Latvia’s first KFC restaurant, located in Old Riga, will also be renovated and adapted to the new interior and service quality concept in the coming months. KFC currently provides jobs for 130 employees in the Baltics, but within the next three years this number is planned to increase to as many as 800 across more than 20 new fast-food chain restaurants. Apollo Group also plans to enter the Estonian market soon with the first new-concept KFC restaurant.