Franchisees Apply for Closed KFC Stores
by February 4, 2002 12:00 am 186 views
Existing franchisees have applied to take over eight KFC restaurants in Northwest Arkansas that closed because a franchisee in New Mexico filed for bankruptcy in December.
“There hasn’t been any approval or any other action,” said Michelle Mandrow, a spokesperson for KFC Corp. in Louisville, Ky.
Mandrow said the restaurants may be moved from the buildings that housed them last year. A “for lease” sign has been posted in front of the KFC restaurant at College Avenue and Rolling Hills Drive in Fayetteville.
The eight restaurants, which were operated by Newmark Foods Inc., were in Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, Rogers and Siloam Springs.
Besides the Northwest Arkansas locations, Robert Mott, the franchisee operating as Newmark Foods, also had 11 KFCs in Texas and six in New Mexico.
Franchise rights cost $25,000, and it costs $900,000-$1.2 million to build a KFC restaurant.
KFC is owned by Tricon Global Restaurants Inc.
Wallace Fowler of Fowler Foods in Jonesboro said he is not one of the franchisees looking at the stores.
Other nearby KFC franchisees who may be eyeing the eight stores include K-Mac Enterprises Inc. of Fort Smith, Haynie Foods of Maumelle and Billy Ball of Searcy. None of them was available for comment.