KFC set to launch chicken pie in NZ

A year after the success of its Double Down burger (pictured) KFC is launching a chicken pie. Photo / Natalie Slade

For KFC lovers who are also partial to the odd pie, some good news is at hand.

The fast food chain is set to launch a chicken pie in its stores across the country next week.

Restaurant Brands chief executive Russel Creedy, whose firm operates KFC, Starbucks and Pizza Hut, said the pie contained KFC's famous mashed potato and gravy and, of course, chicken.

"It's fantastic," Creedy said. "I've had a few already."

He said the pie would go on the menu on Tuesday and would sell for $4.50.

It was the first time KFC had offered a pie in New Zealand, Creedy said, adding that KFC in United States had put a pie on its menu in the past.

The launch of the pie comes on the back of KFC's Double Down bunless chicken burger promotion, which was a marketing coup for the chain last year.

Creedy said he did not expect the pie to be as much of a hit as the Double Down. The company plans to re-launch the bunless chicken burger later this year.

The success last year of KFC's 'Double Down' burger promotion has made Restaurant Brands' first quarter sales report look comparatively weak.

The company, which has the local rights for KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks, said the group's same-store sales fell by 3.7 per cent over the quarter compared with the first quarter of last year.

"Sales were affected by the rolling over of the prior year's KFC Double Down burger promotion which was an unprecedented sales success,'' Restaurant Brands said.

Total sales across the company's three brands were $70.6m, a fall of 2.7 per cent or $2.0m.

KFC's total sales fell 3.1 per cent in the quarter. Starbucks sales decreased 3.5 per cent but Pizza Hut sales were the same as last year, despite there being nine fewer stores.