Fast food operator Restaurants of Jamaica (ROJ) has added another location to its growing network of restaurants with the addition of the $130-million Pizza Hut location in Harbour View, Kingston.

The location, opened in December of last year, moves the number of stores operated by ROJ to 53 which now comprises 14 Pizza Huts and 39 KFC outlets. This follows the previous opening of a $200-million investment in construction for a KFC restaurant in Junction, St Elizabeth.

ROJ Managing Director Mark Myers in commenting on the latest venture by the company said that the introduction of the Harbour View location is an indicator of ROJ’s continued commitment to expansion, investment and employment creation, even amidst the current novel coronavirus pandemic.

“The Pizza Hut brand has been warmly welcomed by the people of Harbour View and we are extremely happy to now be a part of the community. Opening two new restaurants within the space of three weeks speaks to our continued commitment to growth and investment in our nation and to creating employment for our fellow Jamaicans. It also speaks to the trust and support that we continue to receive from our customers, which have kept us as market leaders in the quick service restaurant [QSR] industry in Jamaica for so many years,” he said in a news release last week.

“We also understand the negative impact that the pandemic continues to have on the livelihood of our fellow Jamaicans, and so we are truly grateful for the continued support of our brands, and pleased to provide a source of employment for Jamaicans in need at this time,” he added.

The new location provides 35 new job opportunities for the Harbour View community and will also help to significantly cut travel time for customers who had to visit other locations in Kingston.

“We’re very excited to share the love of pizza in Harbour View. Pizza lovers in that area no longer have to travel to our New Kingston or Liguanea locations to get a taste of our delicious pizzas. The community has been asking for this and we’re happy to make the world’s best pizza available to them,” Myers said noting that ROJ, while providing service to the Harbour View community, will also seek to partner, engage with, and uplift the other surrounding communities .

“We have been serving the people of Jamaica for over 40 years and we have always valued the importance of not just national but community-level involvement and development,” he stated.