Pizza Hut, KFC close down for indefinite period

Dispute between employees and employers has forced KFC and Pizza Hut to close its outlet for indefinite time, when the government is planning to announce Nepal Investment Year to attract foreign investment in the country.

The management has closed the outlet blaming the workers that they manhandled the human resource manager Krishna Prasad Sharma yesterday, said All Nepal Revolutionary Hotel and Restaurent Workers Association vice chairman Tika Subedi, who is associated to the CPN-Maoist led by Mohan Baidhya 'Kiran'.

The employees were in the process of registering the union at the Labour office at Teku since last week, he said, adding that the management has alleged the union of manhandling and closed down the eatery unilaterally to avert the registering of union.

When tried to get in touch the management of Devyani International Nepal that has been managing the multinational eatary KFC and Pizza Hut in Nepal did not want to come to contact.

KFC and Pizza Hut entered Nepal in 2009, November 23 as the first multinational food chain and opened their outlet at the city's posh Kingsway. Devyani International has also opened Pizza Hut Delivery (PHD) in 2011 October to provide free home delivery service at Blue Bird in Tripureshwor.

The international chain has employed some 180 Nepalis.

Devyani International is an associate company of RJ Corp that has interest in Pepsi — in India, Nepal, Srilanka, Mozambique and Morocco — Beer — in India, Nepal, Mauritius — Milk — in Uganda — Cream bell Ice cream, Stem-cell Banking and Education.