KFC, Pizza Hut, Carl’s Jr. And Taco Bell Announce Reopening Plans

Phased approach to store openings to put health and safety first

Following the move to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm on Monday 27 April, Restaurant Brands will be phasing the opening of drive thru and delivery services at its more than 200 KFC, Pizza Hut and Carl’s Jr stores nationwide.

“We appreciate there will be high demand when we reopen for delivery and drive thru, but first I must have total confidence the wellbeing of our staff and our customers can be assured,” says Restaurant Brands Group CEO Russel Creedy.

“Having this phased approach gives us time to make sure, store-by-store, we have the staff and necessary operational guidelines and checks in place to exceed both the government’s requirements and the expectations of our customers,” says Creedy.

While dining rooms will remain closed, the easing of restrictions at Level 3 means drive thru and delivery services will be able to operate. This will be done in a staged way, over the next week or so. For KFC and Carl’s Jr., that means the operation of contactless drive thru and contactless delivery. For Pizza Hut, at Level 3 contactless delivery only will be available.

Prior to re-opening, Restaurant Brands will require each restaurant to have its own re-opening plan signed off by the company’s executive. Enhanced cleaning, hygiene and social distancing measures are also being adopted and, prior to returning to work, all staff will be required to receive training and certification on these new procedures through online training modules.

“We have set up individual work zones for each staff member to ensure a safe distance is maintained,” says Creedy.

KFC customers will also have to choose from a slightly smaller menu of key products than usual to limit the number of staff required in restaurant kitchens. “KFC has a broader menu than our other restaurants, so by reducing it during Level 3 we are able to easily ensure safe social distancing is maintained at all times,” says Creedy. KFC’s most popular menu items will still be available.

KFC, Pizza Hut, Carl’s Jr. and Taco Bell stores closed early-evening on 25 March, allowing staff to get home early ahead of the movement to the Level 4 lock down. The company has been communicating regularly with staff, having made the commitment early to guarantee they would continue to be paid at 100% of their wages and salaries during this time.

Since then, Restaurant Brands has been working closely with supply chain partners, such as Tegel and Ingham’s, to ensure fresh stock can be delivered to its restaurants but this takes time. “I can assure customers our products will be as fresh as ever,” says Creedy.

Restaurant Brands are looking forward to re-opening restaurants with a safe and contactless drive thru and delivery service just as much as the public are, however keeping customers and staff safe may increase service times. “Please respect our team and be kind,” says Creedy.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. There will be a phased re-opening of KFC drive thru and Carl’s Jr. drive thru at Level 3 over a week or so. We will be regularly updating restaurant websites with our re-opening schedule as each store is confirmed.

2. To ensure a contactless transaction, cash will not be accepted across both drive thru and delivery services.

3. All staff will be required to observe the 1 metre physical distance requirement while in store. Dining rooms will remain closed and no member of the public will be allowed in store.

4. Pizza Hut stores will be open for delivery only and these too will involve a phased opening over the next week or so. Pizza Hut delivery can be ordered via pizzahut.co.nz, or download the new Pizza Hut App.

5. KFC contactless delivery can be ordered through kfcdelivery.co.nz, but may not be available in your region. Customers will be able to check the KFC website for more information on delivery in their area.

6. Carl’s Jr. delivery can be ordered through UberEats online ordering platform.

7. Taco Bell (Brickworks store) delivery is currently not available, but we are working on it and a further announcement will come shortly.

8. The details of our new KFC menu will be available on our website and at drive thru. Don’t worry, we have retained all our Original Recipe bucket meals, Quarter Packs, Lunch and Snack Boxes and of course our famous Wicked Wings, KFC chips, potato and gravy and coleslaw. Catering packs will also be available for larger family gatherings.

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