Paris, Bayonne, Dijon restaurants impacted

Approximately forty KFC restaurants in Paris, Bayonne, and Dijon are affected by the financial troubles of ProNoïa, a major franchisee in France. The company has entered a legal safeguard procedure due to debt, as announced in legal documents published on Saturday.

Debt from rapid expansion

ProNoïa’s debt crisis stems from financing a rapid expansion strategy, which led to increased losses. The commercial court in Bordeaux initiated the safeguard procedure at the end of September for the holding company and its subsidiaries, including the KFC restaurants at North Station and Forum des Halles in Paris, and others in Bayonne and Dijon. The procedure freezes debts while a plan is negotiated, potentially spreading them over ten years.

Origins in Pau and expansion goals

The story begins in Pau, where ProNoïa’s founder, Pierre Tritz, opened his first KFC franchise in 2013. Ten years later, the group sought 85 million euros in financing, mostly from banks, to expand from 26 to nearly sixty restaurants by 2025 and "capture more than a third of the growth" of KFC in France.

Slow expansion and heavy losses

According to the company register, ProNoïa has only opened about fifteen restaurants, including locations in La Défence and the Parly 2 shopping mall in the Paris region. The Île-de-France subsidiary alone reported losses of 4.7 million euros for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, with debts exceeding the value of assets by 14.6 million euros at that time.

Financial decline and debt rescheduling

ProNoïa, which was still profitable in 2021-2022, reported a loss of 7.2 million euros for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, despite a turnover of 83.9 million euros. It accumulated 60.7 million euros in financial debt and failed to meet required financial ratios for two consecutive years. Banks granted a waiver at the end of 2025 during ongoing discussions to reschedule the debt.

KFC France's response

KFC France stated that its franchisee had initiated a "proactive" approach to "adapt and restructure its activity in the face of a demanding economic environment." The brand assured that the restaurants "continue to operate normally."

Other franchisees also struggling

ProNoïa is not the only KFC franchisee facing difficulties. AmRest, another major KFC franchisee that also operates Sushi Shop, saw its sales decline by more than 10% last year and in the first quarter, though it reported "signs of improvement" in the second quarter.

Rising competition and chicken demand

Despite a 5.6% increase in chicken consumption in France in 2025, driven by the restaurant sector, KFC faces growing competition from brands like Tasty Crousty and Popeyes. When contacted, ProNoïa did not immediately respond to further questions.