Esas Holding to acquire KFC, Pizza

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Hürriyet photo

Turkey’s Esas Holding has officially applied to the Competition Board to take over local KFC and Pizza Hut from Süzer Holding, the current owner, according to the board’s official website.

Istanbul-based Turkent Food and Tourism, a subsidiary of Süzer, runs KFC, Pizza Hut and Pizza Hut Delivery restaurants in Turkey.

Other potential buyers were Poland-based Amrest Holdings, one of the largest restaurant chains in Central and Eastern Europe, and Actera Group, a private equity fund, according to daily Hürriyet.

KFC, which is present in more than 100 countries, entered the Turkish market in 1989.

Turkent currently runs 61 KFC restaurants and 41 Pizza Hut restaurants in the country.

Esas Holidng was “founded in 2000 by first and second generation Sabancı family members ascended from Şevket Sabancı,” according to the company’s official website.

Şevket Sabancı is a brother of late businessman Sakıp Sabancı, the former chairman of Sabancı Holding, one of the largest Turkish conglomerates.