The Restaurant Rising
The entrance of a new player in the restaurant business(KFC) is a watershed moment for the industry and a pat on the back for Uganda.
A few years ago, i did a little research on a facility in the U.S whose menu i kind of fancied. Well it turns out, that they had location in Libya and South Africa but no place
else in Africa. My research went on to show that the basic costs of
establishing a franchise were about Million U.S dollars.
Even if excitement seems a little misplaced, there is a lot to celebrate and anticipate for the future.
An American brand finally feels comfortable enough to set up in Uganda. Even if there have been mergers
and other brands (especially from South Africa), this is a little different. For starters, the South African
businesses were mainly in retail (Shoprite) and the closest we've gotten to linking this business to the U.S was the reported take over by retail giant WallMart.
Establishing a presence within Africa is simple enough. Setting something up from
the U.S is a completely different ball game. Already the social media was abuzz with excitement over
the cost of a bucket of 'produce'. This means a lot especially for those who often think too simply of the
restaurant business. What it does is indirectly justify an increase in costs
and a battle on the quality front. It also brings to bear some of the questions we have
had in the past regarding wages for workers.
I also suspect that these kinds of ventures will directly affect how citizens of this country see themselves and
maybe even help contribute to American Soft Power.
Having lived here for about seven years i have been often surprised by the similarities between Uganda and the U.S especially the sense in which our culture seems to favor the worker and how favorable the atmosphere is to the business person (in some respects).
A few years ago, i did a little research on a facility in the U.S whose menu i kind of fancied. Well it turns out, that they had location in Libya and South Africa but no place
else in Africa. My research went on to show that the basic costs of
establishing a franchise were about Million U.S dollars.
Even if excitement seems a little misplaced, there is a lot to celebrate and anticipate for the future.
An American brand finally feels comfortable enough to set up in Uganda. Even if there have been mergers
and other brands (especially from South Africa), this is a little different. For starters, the South African
businesses were mainly in retail (Shoprite) and the closest we've gotten to linking this business to the U.S was the reported take over by retail giant WallMart.
Establishing a presence within Africa is simple enough. Setting something up from
the U.S is a completely different ball game. Already the social media was abuzz with excitement over
the cost of a bucket of 'produce'. This means a lot especially for those who often think too simply of the
restaurant business. What it does is indirectly justify an increase in costs
and a battle on the quality front. It also brings to bear some of the questions we have
had in the past regarding wages for workers.
I also suspect that these kinds of ventures will directly affect how citizens of this country see themselves and
maybe even help contribute to American Soft Power.
Having lived here for about seven years i have been often surprised by the similarities between Uganda and the U.S especially the sense in which our culture seems to favor the worker and how favorable the atmosphere is to the business person (in some respects).
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