Apollo Group Acquires Norwegian Fly Chicken Chain for KFC Expansion
KFC franchisor Apollo Group has announced plans to acquire Norway's fast-casual restaurant chain, Fly Chicken. The acquisition will see most of the existing 19 Fly Chicken locations converted into KFC restaurants over time. Alongside this transition, Apollo intends to open additional KFC outlets in Norway within five years as part of its international expansion strategy. The deal marks a significant step for Apollo Group, which now operates KFC under franchise agreements in five markets globally. The company plans to invest €20 million ($22 million) into the Norwegian market over the next five years. Fly Chicken's co-founder and CEO Ronny Gjøse will remain with the business during this transition period. Apollo Group’s CEO, Toomas Tiivel, emphasized that combining local expertise from Fly Chicken with Apollo’s global experience would strengthen its position in Northern Europe.