Carl's Jr boosts Restaurant Brands' sales

Some of Carl's Jr's US-made ads have been banned from TV here because they use sexual appeal in an exploitative and degrading manner. Photo / Chris Gorman

Restaurant Brands New Zealand, the listed fast-food chain operator, reported a 6.2 per cent lift in second-quarter sales, mainly driven by the contribution from its Carl's Jr outlets while revenue from Starbucks Coffee fell.

Sales rose by $6 million to $102.1 million in the 16 weeks ended Sept. 9, the Auckland-based company said in a statement. Same store sales rose 2.7 per cent.

Restaurant Brands launched its Carl's Jr burger chain last November and in the latest quarter it contributed $4.3 million of sales. The company opened its fifth Carl's Jr outlet in Rotorua last month and plans to open three more this year, bringing the total to eight.

Sales at its biggest unit, the KFC chicken chain, rose 2.4 per cent to $75.1 million, while same-store sales grew 0.4 per cent. Pizza Hut sales were flat at $15.3 million as the company continues its strategy of selling stores to independent franchisees. Same-store sales climbed 13.2 per cent.

The number of company-owned Pizza Hut outlets fell to 52 from 63 a year earlier, with 32 now independently owned.

Starbucks Coffee outlet sales fell 1.2 per cent to $7.4 million though they were up 5.8 per cent on a same-store basis.

The company plans to release its first-half results on Oct. 17.

The shares fell 0.7 per cent to $2.74.