Strongly believe in India story, will continue physical expansion: KFC

US-based fast food chain KFC will continue to expand its restaurant network in India despite the coronavirus pandemic bringing structural changes in the business, believing the country to be a growth market in the coming years, according to a top company official.

KFC India, which opened around 30 new restaurants last year during the peak of the COVID-19-induced disruptions, is looking at adding new outlets this year too as it looks to enhance access of the brand to its consumers.

"Our intent is definitely to keep growing the brand. One of our biggest strategic pillars is what we call as access. We have to ensure that access to the brand continues to grow for the consumers, both physical and digital," KFC India Managing Director Samir Menon told PTI.

Despite the COVID-19 disruptions, he said, "We actually have more restaurants now than we had in pre-COVID. During the course of the year, our franchisees have opened new restaurants. So we actually are a bigger business now than we wer