The Mayor and City Council has given Edward B Beharry and Company Limited the go ahead to begin construction at sites intended to house its Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchises in Georgetown.
The decision was made at the council’s statutory meeting on Monday.
Company officials had previously complained over what they said were months of difficulties with the Mayor and City Council in getting various approvals to launch the KFC franchise at locations along Vlissengen Road and at the junction of Regent and Hincks streets.
However, Town Clerk Royston King had said that the original plans submitted by the company were not in order and they were being processed after corrections were made. After the applications were submitted to the City Engineer’s Department, they were subsequently sent to the Central Housing and Planning Authority, the Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Water Incorporated, and Ministry of Public Health before returning to the council for approval.
Mayor Patricia Chase-Green told Stabroek News that in many cases the city takes the blame for lengthy delays although it is not always responsible. She explained that the delay usually lies in the applications having to go to the different agencies.
She had told the City Engineer’s Department to be more efficient in their services and that applications should not take more than 90 days to be approved.
Previous KFC and Pizza Hut franchises were pulled after regional representatives of Yum! Brands visited and found poor hygiene practices.
At that time, the franchise was held by Friendship Hotel & Restaurant Holdings Limited, headed by businessman Deo Singh. The franchise is now held by Edward B Beharry and Co.
