The United States-based fast food chain Krispy Krunchy Chicken is coming to Mexico, with its first outlet to open this month in Yucatán.

The food service chain that saw record growth in the U.S. last year will open on June 27 in the GoMart Montecarlo mall in the city of Mérida.

Sometimes called gas-station chicken for the fact that its product is sold primarily inside gas stations and convenience stores, Krispy Krunchy Chicken closed 2017 with 509 new stores, bringing its total to 2,294. Most of those are in the U.S.; the company also has a presence in Malaysia and American Samoa.

Last year the it sold 14 million chicken breasts, 24.5 million wings and 20 million thighs.

In Mexico, Krispy Krunchy Chicken will compete with brands such as Pollo Feliz and KFC. The latter has 328 restaurants throughout the country, operated by Premium Restaurant Brands.

According to the market research firm Euromonitor International, the food service market in Mexico recorded year-on-year growth of 3.9% last year, with sales of 819 billion pesos (US $43.4 billion).

The firm also found that the consolidation of convenience stores continued to rise. Of all the fast food companies in Mexico, Oxxo recorded the highest sales and the largest number of locations.

Source: Forbes (sp)