Yum Brands Inc. (Louisville, Ky.), parent company of KFC and Pizza Hut fast-food chains, said it will enforce a no-smoking ban at company-owned locations of both operations.
The retailer said “No Smoking” signs will go up beginning this week at 1200 KFC and 1675 Pizza Hut restaurants across the country. Franchise operators in the two chains also will be encouraged to join the initiative. Yum’s franchise network in the United States includes 4200 KFC and 4600 Pizza Hut restaurants.
“In our opinion, going smoke-free is simply the right thing to do,” said Gregg Dedrick and Peter Hearl, presidents of KFC and Pizza Hut, respectively.
Previous smoking policies at KFC and Pizza Hut had varied by restaurant. Some stores provided smoking sections, and others allowed people to light up anywhere. A Yum spokesman said the switch to the smoke-free stores had been considered for a couple of months. Asked what impact it might have on sales, he said, “We’re focused on doing the right thing.” He added that “the dine-in occasion at a KFC is not an extensive period of time. So we don’t think our customers will be inconvenienced by this.”
Yum’s three other fast-food brands — Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and A&W All-American Foods Restaurants — already have smoke-free policies in U.S. stores. Smoking is prohibited in all Taco Bell stores, both franchised and company-owned, and in Long John Silver’s and A&W restaurants that are company-owned.