A popular chicken fast food eatery recently announced it was renewing its commitment to diversifying its franchise owner roll and employee pool.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, or as it’s better known as KFC, said the restaurant chain’s customer base is increasingly diverse and it now needs to reflect it in how they do business.
“We are proud of the progress we’ve made in the area of diversity, but we realize we have more to do,” KFC President Roger Eaton announced earlier this month in Chicago.
The chicken chain has bout 600 franchises nationwide. Of that number, 111 are minority-owned, according to Eaton.
The company will create more business and employment opportunities for minorities by increasing the number of minority-owned franchises by 33 percent by year 2016; diversify the employment ranks at the director level and above by 25 percent by within the next five years; partner with minority-owned marketing firms to develop marketing plans to best reach minority customers and to purchase up to 10 percent of KFC’s national media funds; and achieve 10 percent minority and women supplier purchasing by year’s end to increase that to 12.5 percent over the next five years.
Eaton said the company will hire a diversity director to ensure the new targets are met, will establish a minority capital program to recruit prospective African American and Hispanic franchise owners.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. of Rainbow/PUSH said KFC has the right mindset to forge ahead with its diversity efforts.
“As we seek to close disparities, it is imperative that we create jobs and opportunity in underserved communities. One of the ways to address the lingering disparities is to build viable, strong Black and brown business enterprises. Businesses create jobs; they contribute to the tax base; they stabilize neighborhoods and families. Although things have improved much since 1971, there are still significant barriers to be overcome. As we seek to level the playing field, we must have forward-thinking and engaged partners. We have found such a partner in KFC,” said Jackson.
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA, praised Eaton and KFC for the diversity plan.
“It was not just an idea, he (Eaton) talked about specifics. He talked about goals. He said they (KFC) will have a total program. It is time for us to renew our efforts to bring about opportunities for women and minorities. Over the past 10 years we have dropped the ball. We need to be making announcements similar to this one once or twice a week,” said Waters, who stood next to Jackson and Eaton during the announcement.
Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender
Photo: Courtesy of KFC
