Durrant Pate/Contributor

Jamaican-based investment holding company Norbrook Equity Partners has spearheaded one of the most successful operational turnarounds in the region with Platinum Brands, the Panama-based operator of KFC and Dairy Queen, which is set to open 12 new KFC stores in Panama City over the next nine-months.

Today, Norbrook Equity has announced a significant growth initiative in which Platinum Brands has secured all locations for the opening of 12 new KFC restaurants, expanding its footprint from 46 to 58 KFC restaurants, alongside its existing 21 Dairy Queen locations. Momentum is already well underway, as three of the 12 restaurants have recently opened to resounding success and strong local fanfare, including flagship locations in David and the province of Chiriquí. 

These openings have garnered high customer traffic, solid early sales performance and enthusiastic community engagement, reinforcing confidence in the company’s expansion strategy. Platinum Brands emerged from the acquisition of both iconic brands by a Jamaican-led investment group spearheaded by Norbrook Equity Partners. Since the acquisition, the company has been undergoing a disciplined transformation focused on strengthening the business’s core fundamentals.

Top-notch team leading the turnaround

In a news release, Norbrook Equity Partners notes that operations are led by a newly assembled, high-performing leadership team under the direction of Juan Carlos Andrade, whose operational rigour and executional excellence have been instrumental in the turnaround. “From day one, the mandate was clear: rebuild the foundation before chasing expansion,” explains Andrade. “We made deliberate investments in service culture, speed of service, consistent product quality, upgraded store aesthetics, and, most importantly, building a deeper bench of leadership. The results are evident in both our performance and the reception of our newest restaurants.” 

Today, Platinum Brands’ KFC and Dairy Queen operations in Panama are recognised as top performers within the regional system, with strong same-store sales growth, improved guest satisfaction scores and materially enhanced operational metrics. This operational excellence has positioned the company to confidently enter its next phase of growth. Norbrook Equity, which operates across multiple industries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, emphasised that the expansion is the result of preparation, not acceleration without discipline.

Executive Chairman Khary Robinson says, “Our aspiration is to grow to 100 restaurants by 2028, but we understood that growth without strong fundamentals would be unsustainable. The success of the recent openings confirms that the business is now ready to scale responsibly.” The remaining KFC openings will continue across key Panamanian markets over the coming months, creating hundreds of new jobs and further strengthening the company’s role as a leading employer, brand partner and contributor to local economic development.

With a proven turnaround, a strong leadership team and early wins from its newest restaurants, Platinum Brands is firmly positioned as one of the fastest-growing and best-performing Quick Service Restaurant operators in the region.