Discover how Restaurants Development Company is building careers for thousands of people across Thailand
Established in 2016, Restaurants Development Company (RD) is a large, fast-growing franchisee of KFC, bringing the renowned American fast-food chicken chain to Thailand. As the business prepares to open its 300th store on the cusp of its eighth year in business, we sit down with Andrew Norton, CEO, to learn more about the company’s evolution.
“RD was established in 2016 to acquire 127 KFC restaurants in Thailand from the franchisor of KFC, Yum Brands,” Andew opens. “In the early stages, we were totally unknown in Thailand, and we had to explain our business vision to hundreds of suppliers, partners, and to people we were recruiting to lead our restaurant support team. 
“Since then, we have invested significantly in expanding the network, remodeling the business, and improving experiences for both our customers and our employees. Through such investment, we will shortly open our 300th restaurant and we have created thousands of jobs. Indeed, we now employ more than 5000 people and are growing the team every month.
“We serve over 80 million customers every year and are currently preparing to open our 300th store,” he states. “RD is already one of the largest and fastest-growing restaurant businesses in Thailand, but our ambition extends much further. In early 2024, we entered our next phase of growth, welcoming a partnership with Devyani International Limited (Devyani), the largest franchisee of KFC in India.
“With Devyani operating more than 1800 stores, this is the start of an exciting future for RD as we grow together in partnership. Being part of this group is going to bring huge opportunities for us to grow faster, share best practices and learn from one of the largest and most respected restaurant groups in the region.”
Community commitment
Reflecting on the company’s upcoming eighth anniversary, Andrew comments: “I am most proud of the fulfilling careers and growth opportunities we have provided for thousands of people with one of the most admired brands in Thailand. I believe everyone who works for RD is proud of how much we have achieved, how far we have come, and to be a part of our future. Everyone has something they are individually proud of from their journey with RD.
“Most of our employees work in our restaurants, where they receive world-class training on teamwork, customer service, hospitality, and food safety standards. In Thailand, it’s common practice for people to move away from their family, often to large cities like Bangkok, to build a sufficient career. However, with our huge network of restaurants in communities across Thailand, thousands of employees can build strong careers close to home.
“Over the last eight years since our inception, our growth has enabled us to offer more than 20,000 promotions, so there are plenty of success stories in our restaurants and operational support teams,” he continues. “Beyond our employees, we’ve also been able to contribute to the communities in which we operate by donating to local food banks or sponsoring study scholarships, for example.”
Recipe for success
On the topic of anniversaries, Andrew is keen to share his thoughts on KFC Thailand’s 40th anniversary. “I’m originally from Australia but have called Thailand home for 13 years, during which time I’ve seen KFC grow exponentially across the country,” he reflects. “Today, KFC is not only the largest quick service restaurant chain, but also one of the most admired consumer brands in Thailand.
“People often ask me why KFC is so loved in Thailand. I believe it starts with a fantastic, relevant menu offering; its flavors, products, local innovations, and affordable prices make KFC relevant and meaningful to Thai people. The chain is famous for its 11 secret herbs and spices, but we have a 12th secret – our amazing team!”
As Andrew emphasizes, people are at the core of RD’s operations, and the business strives to take care of its employees. “Our core mantra is ‘everyone makes a real difference,’ and we believe that our company abbreviation of ‘RD’ also stands for ‘real difference’,” he explains. “Whether occupying the role of a chef, cashier, accountant, or construction manager, everyone in this organization is critical to our success and makes a difference to our customers, team members, and the wider community.
“Our team are outstanding in what they do, and they have earned the company a fantastic reputation. Testament to this is the number of awards we have received in our brief history, such as the ‘Best New KFC Franchisee Globally’ from Yum Brands in 2018, ‘Best New KFC Restaurant Globally’ in 2022, and several awards for marketing, customer service, and teamwork. While the motivation behind our hard work isn’t to win awards, it’s gratifying to see our efforts in building a strong team and fast-growing business recognized by industry bodies.”
Turning to the future, Andrew suggests: “RD will continue to invest in expansion across Thailand. Our partnership with Devyani will secure our commitment to positioning RD as a fast-growing, innovative company that will continue to provide career opportunities for our teams for years to come.
“Despite leading RD for eight years since our founding, I believe our most exciting days are still ahead of us,” he concludes. “I am incredibly grateful to our team members, supply partners, and customers for the ongoing support and shared success as we continue our journey of growth.”