KenChic to Exit Kenya’s Fast Food Industry

Almost every Kenyan, especially those who love fast food, has heard and subscribed to the services offered by KenChic Inns countrywide. This is not, therefore, a new terminology in the fast food industry in Kenya.

Kenchic started its operations in Kenya in the year 1984 and ever since, the company has been producing processed chicken for consumption as well as day-old chicks which are sold to farmers across the county and some abroad.

KenChic has been a popular restaurant in the country for many years and its announcement that it is exiting the Kenyan market hit most people unaware. The restaurant has now announced that it is planning to exit the fast foods Kenyan market by the end of March 31st 2016.

By the end of 31st March this year, the company has announced that it will stop using its well-known brand name KenChic. KenChic has said that it has decided to quit the fast food market as a result of the rapid evolution of the market for fast foods in Kenya and indicated that it will shift its concentration to chicken processing.

In the recent years, KenChic has been facing stiff completion from other fast foods joints that have sprung up in almost all the urban centers led by some foreign based giants like Dominos, Naked Pizza, Subway, Planet Yoghurt, Pizza Hut as well as Cold Stone Creamery. The company, which has already set up a 350 million shilling chicken processing plant in Thika in 2014 and with a capacity to slaughter 600,000 chickens per week will now focus on supplying chicken to the fast food joints that have taken over the market.

According to market analysts, KenChic has bowed out of the Kenyan fast foods market as a result of stiff competition. In the year 2014, KenChic improved its processing as well as the breeding units at a cost of 350 million shillings in Thika and then set up a hatchery in Athi River at a cost of 1.5 billion shillings.

KenChic had been operating in agreement with more than 30 other fast food restaurants popularly known as Franchise but the company has ever since terminated its agreements and from April this year, the brand KenChic Inn will completely disappear from the streets.

The exit of KenChic from the fast food market also means that some big hotels in town will have to seek other suppliers since the company has been their main supplier.

The problems facing KenChic fast foods began when some of KenChic restaurants owners boycotted buying products from KenChic and bought them from other producers. The quality of the products was also greatly compromised and KenChic feared that this could injure it reputation.

Kenyans have taken to the social media giving a wide range of views concerning the exit of KenChic with fast food lovers left to lament. The majority of Kenyans on the social media has termed the decision as a wise move since the company seemed not to cope up with the changing fast food market in Kenya.

Article by Juma Fred.