In a move that marks the single largest international expansion in Texas Chicken history, the brand announced a deal to bring its restaurants to malls, inline locations, and standalone stores throughout Thailand. Of the 70 planned restaurants, one is already slated to open this year, and two more are nearing construction. The exclusive agreement with Public Company Limited (PTT), the Petroleum Authority of Thailand, will leverage PTT’s existing infrastructure throughout the region, as well as the company’s expertise with operations and the quick-service restaurant industry.

“The Texas Chicken brand story has resonated in the Southeast Asia market for a long time,” says Tony Moralejo, chief development officer at Texas Chicken. “We are honored to be working with another great company to share Texas Chicken’s high-quality food, which customers love throughout the region.”

Such large-scale expansions are a cornerstone to the brand’s international growth strategy. In fact, one of the key criteria for international franchisees is the willingness and ability to deliver countrywide presence in a relatively quick timeframe. Another motivating factor for the development agreement is the franchisor model, which is aimed at delivering maximum profitability for the franchisee or franchisee group. The new Thailand deal is most definitely a benchmark example of the strategy at work.

"PTT has a very diverse portfolio that includes concepts in the food and restaurant space. We are proud to add a premiere brand like Texas Chicken to our portfolio and introduce the popular restaurant chain to Thailand," says Sarun Rungkasiri COO of Downstream Petroleum Business Group at PTT. "The legacies of both PTT and Texas Chicken are a perfect match, and we are looking forward to a long and prosperous future."

“As one of the world’s leading companies, our new international franchisee is incredibly well respected within the region and ideally positioned to bring guests the Texas Chicken experience,” says Zack Kollias, executive vice president of international operations at Texas Chicken. “We’re looking forward to working together to create something truly special for this market.”

“Already the top protein choice in Southeast Asia, chicken is positioned to keep growing in the future,” says Bill Schreiber, vice president of worldwide business development at Texas Chicken. “Texas Chicken has an excellent track record of being the preferred fried chicken offering when compared to other brands.”