Restaurant Associates Limited (RAL) is strengthening its presence in Jamaica with six new restaurants planned exclusively for Spanish Town, St Catherine, while exploring further expansion in Barbados.

With a portfolio that includes Burger King, Popeyes, Little Caesars, and Krispy Kreme, RAL is betting on Jamaica’s growing demand for quick-service dining while strategically positioning itself in key Caribbean markets like Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, but is skipping Guyana for now. Despite Guyana’s economic boom, the company is holding off on entry, choosing instead to concentrate its operations where it sees the most opportunity.

RAL’s expansion in Spanish Town, one of Jamaica’s fastest-growing urban centres, reflects the company’s confidence in local demand. With the recent opening of four new outlets in Burke Road and Angels Pen, RAL has cemented its foothold in the area and is now preparing for further growth.

CEO Lisa Lake sees Spanish Town as a prime location for investment.

“We see Spanish Town as a fast-growing community, and for our businesses, we want to place ourselves where the action is,” she said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Angel’s Popeyes and Burger King locations on Sunday. “Since the opening of these new restaurants, we’ve seen the demand first-hand.”

Each new store represents an investment of between $100 million and $150 million, and creates approximately 25 jobs per location. The upcoming six stores, which will include a mix of Burger King, Popeyes, Little Caesars, and Krispy Kreme, will add more than 150 new jobs to the area. For RAL, expansion is not just about increasing its footprint—it is about targeting high-growth communities where demand for fast, convenient dining is strong.

“This is a very convenient location going onto the highway and out and it’s great for motorists,” Lake told the Business Observer. The Angels entrance/exit is on the Jamaica North-South Highway (JNSH), a toll road that connects Kingston to Ocho Rios.

RAL has already identified a nearby location for pedestriantraffic, at the old Ariguanabo textile factory which has been developed by Michael Subratie in partnership with Musson Jamaica. The redevelopment of the 15-acre complex, called MJS Tech Park, is now home to contact centre Transparent BPO, Sagility, formerly HGS Healthcare, as well plans are underway for baking company Honey Bun to set up a new production plant on site.

Additionally, plans are underway to increase business in the wider St Catherine area which includes Old Harbour.

Jamaica remains RAL’s largest and most dynamic market, with over 60 locations and counting. Still, RAL is focused on strengthening its foothold in existing Caribbean markets where it sees the greatest potential for long-term growth.

In Trinidad, the company has steadily expanded its operations with Burger King, Popeyes, and Little Caesars, while in Barbados, it manages Burger King and Little Caesars, with plans to introduce Popeyes and Krispy Kreme in the near future.

“In Barbados, we just operate Burger King and Little Caesars now. We’re looking to bring the missing brands to those locations as well,” she said.

The company’s multi-brand strategy has allowed it to diversify its offerings and capture a broad customer base, leveraging economies of scale in operations and supply chain management. According to Lake, the complementary nature of the brands makes the approach highly effective.

“We have a burger market, the chicken market, the pizza market, Krispy Kreme for our sweet tooth consumers,” she said. “We are always looking for new opportunities, just as long as it makes sense for us.”

While many companies are turning to Guyana’s oil-fuelled economic boom, RAL is not rushing into the market.

Lake confirmed that all of RAL’s brands are already present in Guyana under other franchise operators, making it a market the company is not currently considering.

“We have no plans. These brands, I think all of the brands currently operate in Guyana and the other franchises, it’s not a market that we’re looking at currently,” she added.