Kentucky Fried Chicken, the world's leading fried chicken company, is opening its first Italian flagship store on Sunday, September 28th in Rome, located in the central Via della Stamperia (corner of Via del Tritone), just steps from the Trevi Fountain. This unique location, not only in Italy but across the continent, boasts unprecedented design, sustainability, service, and technology. The flagship store will be open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., with delivery service also available from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

As Corrado Cagnola, CEO for Italy, explained, there are only three other flagship stores of the brand worldwide. The brand chose Italy for its largest and most iconic fine dining restaurant in Europe, starting with its location in the heart of the Eternal City. The manager specified that the investment was €3 million.

The restaurant's unique aesthetic, spanning two floors of 870 square meters in a period building of great artistic value, was designed with a unique layout inspired by the city's traditions, while adhering to the most modern sustainability standards and incorporating the latest technological innovations to offer a superior customer experience in every aspect, starting with the exclusive table service.

The choice of Rome as the location for the first European flagship store confirms the centrality of the Italian market, which is rapidly expanding with a turnover of 179 million euros in 2024 and a forecast of 30% growth for 2025.

The brand's development in Italy is driven by the strategic reorganization implemented in 2023, which introduced direct management of some locations thanks to the entry of a Master Franchisee. The Rome flagship store, like 20 other restaurants in Italy, will be managed directly by the Master Franchisee and will serve as a true trailblazer both nationally and internationally, with an investment of over €3 million.

"The opening of the first flagship store in Italy is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the brand's success in our country, which is now one of the most important markets in Europe for the brand," commented Corrado Cagnola , CEO of KFC Italy. "In Italy today, KFC is a recognized guarantee of taste and quality in both food and experience, as the 25 million customers served by 2024 know. The choice of Rome was, in a certain sense, natural: not only is it the capital and one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but it is also at the heart of one of our fastest-growing developments in recent years. Suffice it to say that there are already 14 KFC locations in the city, including the flagship opened today, and 20 throughout the entire Lazio region."

"The beauty of the building," adds Cagnola , "and its location did the rest: we worked in collaboration with the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape to enhance the unique features of the structure and best integrate it into the city's aesthetics, combining this attention to detail with sustainability and technology, to offer a truly exclusive experience."

The opening of the Rome flagship store also consolidates the trend of investment in historic city centers, which will continue to be one of the most important assets for KFC's development in Italy over the next three to five years. By 2027, the brand aims to exceed 200 locations nationwide. With the Rome flagship, the total number of locations is 133, with the projected number expected to reach 150 by the end of the year. Thanks to these numbers, KFC currently employs approximately 3,000 people, 50 of whom are employed at the Rome flagship store.