NEW DELHI: Yum! Brands Inc., owner of fast food chains KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, has reported a strong double-digit sales growth in India in the January-March period.

The company on Wednesday said KFC posted a system sales growth of 19 per cent in India in the first quarter ended March 31, 2018.

At the same time, Pizza Hut reported a system sales growth of 21 per cent in India in the first quarter.

This will be the seventh consecutive quarter of positive system sales growth for brands — KFC and Pizza Hut in India.

Samir Menon, Managing Director, KFC India, said: “The quarter ending March 2018 (first quarter) marks the seventh consecutive quarter of positive system sales growth, with 19 per cent system sales growth for India and area countries. This validates the journey we are on to build a big brand here.” Stating that the company is optimistic about the future, he added: “New restaurant openings, innovations around our core menu supported by attractive everyday value propositions, a clear focus behind digital & delivery and a great customer experience, are some of the reasons behind the brand’s sustained momentum.”

System sales growth represents the growth in sales of all the restaurants (irrespective of ownership — company-owned and franchise restaurants) that are operating under the brand excluding foreign currency translations.