Restaurants of Jamaica Limited (ROJ), operators of KFC locally, will officially mark the historic opening of its new Morant Bay restaurant with a grand opening ceremony and customer appreciation celebration on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the Morant Bay Urban Centre.

The grand opening ceremony is expected to bring together representatives from central and local government, community stakeholders, and the ROJ leadership team.

This event follows the restaurant opening its doors to the public in December of last year, after which the beloved KFC brand began directly servicing customers in the parish of St Thomas for the first time.

The January 17 grand opening event will formally recognise and celebrate KFC’s entrance into the community, which has brought with it a significant investment, stimulating economic activity and development within the parish. The day’s proceedings will also bring together the community for a day of family-friendly activities, and live performances headlined by dancehall superstar Ding Dong, alongside his Ravers Clavers dance crew, and young social media dancing sensation turned dancehall artiste, Kaka Highflames.

KFC Morant Bay represents an investment of more than $350 million for ROJ, and has created over 50 new jobs, with most of the team members drawn from Morant Bay and surrounding communities. The restaurant is KFC’s 43rd location island-wide, with 29 restaurants now operating in communities outside of Kingston, reinforcing the brand’s continued focus on rural penetration.

This restaurant is also among the first major brands to commit to establishing operations within the Morant Bay Urban Centre, contributing to early commercial activity and supporting the wider development within the parish.

The Morant Bay Urban Centre is a landmark $6-billion development in St. Thomas, declared open by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, in May 2025 at the official ribbon cutting. Constructed on a 25-acre property that formerly housed the Goodyear factory, the Urban Centre represents one of the largest development projects ever undertaken in the parish.

Speaking on the milestone, KFC Marketing Manager Andrei Roper said the Morant Bay location reflects a deliberate decision to invest early in the parish’s growth.

“The KFC brand coming to St Thomas has been a long time coming, but we are ecstatic to have finally made it a reality. We see the love for the KFC brand here in the parish, as well as the enormous potential for growth not just here at the Urban Centre, but in the wider Morant Bay community and by extension the parish of St Thomas. We believed it was important to be part of that growth from the start, and we really see big things on the horizon for the people of this region,” Roper said.

He continued, “KFC Morant Bay is about more than mealtime convenience; it’s about investing in people, creating opportunities, and being present in a parish that continues to move forward.”

The official opening also comes at an important time as communities across St Thomas continue to regroup and restore a sense of normalcy following the impact of Hurricane Melissa, with private-sector investment playing a key role in recovery and long-term development. The Morant Bay opening also follows the launch of KFC Black River in St Elizabeth in early 2025, further strumming the tune of ROJ’s continued focus on expanding access, creating jobs, and investing in communities across the island.

ROJ remains committed to delivering quality service, convenience, and employment opportunities while supporting the continued growth of Morant Bay and the wider St Thomas parish.