‘Twas an early Christmas for May Pen as citizens welcomed the second KFC location and first Pizza Hut restaurant in the Clarendon parish capital.

Though opened on December 15, franchise owners Restaurants of Jamaica staged a grand opening on Saturday (Dec 21) with loads of entertainment and giveaways. The event was steered by Ity and Fancy Cat, who invited the audience’s participation in jingles, modelling, dance competitions and trivia.

It was also an opportunity for children to celebrate the festive season with photos at the Santa Claus station on location. Situated on Manchester Avenue, the dual store location marks the 13th for the Pizza Hut brand and number 38 for KFC, which will celebrate 45 years in Jamaica next year.

While noting that the KFC store at Bargain Village Plaza has one of the highest volume of transactions in Jamaica, Brand Manager Andrei Roper told BUZZ, “The success of the location has shown there is a high demand for another location because of the pressure that the location is under, especially during peak times… We definitely saw where there was a market for another KFC location in this side of the town to cater to people. So, it eases some of the pressure off the location in Bargain Village Plaza and giving customers another easy route to get KFC.â€

The opening at Manchester Avenue is the fifth dual store location to carry the KFC and Pizza Hut brand, and the local franchise owners are hoping to do the same in other locations, including in Harbour View, St Andrew, where a KFC was opened last year.

As far as Pizza Hut is concerned, Roper shared that the market for pizza is no longer niche but is becoming more competitive. In fact, he said that his company recognises that KFC customers are also demanding pizza. “May Pen has been screaming for a Pizza Hut for years now so we found the right opportunity because, just like KFC, the Pizza Hut brand is also growing. So, it was a prime opportunity with a prime location and prime target market, and we took advantage of it,†he said.

View this post on Instagram Twas’ a Grand Opening like no other! Ÿ˜ BIG up to the May Pen massive for bringing the vibes!A post shared by KFC Jamaica (@kfcjamaica) on Dec 21, 2019 at 8:22pm PST

On Saturday at the grand opening, the Sauce Boss himself, Kemar Highcon,— who is now a Pizza Hut brand ambassador — delivered a hot performance that included his Pizza Hut remix of the 2018 hit So Saucy. “We signed a one-year marketing partnership [agreement] with Kemar Highcon earlier this summer to use his So Saucy song — the music and the lyrics — across a number of our campaigns and to use him for appearances and launches like this because he is an exciting, dynamic rising star in music and it fits well with the Pizza Hut brand, which is young, energetic and fresh,†Roper told BUZZ.

—Article written by Josimar Scott