KFC opens first American fast food outlet in Vietnam's capital
HANOI - US deep-fried chicken chain KFC opened its first restaurant in the Vietnamese capital, drawing crowds eager for a taste of Western fast food.
"This is the first American fast food restaurant in Hanoi and we plan to open two more here this year," said KFC Vietnam general director Pornchai Thuratum. "We've had a lot of people today."
Hundreds of youngsters flocked to the 120-seat restaurant.
"I heard about KFC a long time ago, and I came here mostly out of curiosity," said Nguyen Thanh Huong, a 15-year-old schoolgirl. "It's quite nice and convenient."
The capital is "a very good potential market, that's why we came here," said KFC Vietnam deputy director general Nguyen Chi Kien.
KFC, then known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, first came to communist Vietnam in 1997 and has since opened 20 outlets in and around southern Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon.
In the north it is also planning a new branch in the port city of Haiphong, said Pornchai.
Agence France Presse - June 22, 2006.
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