Church's Chicken Inks Master Franchise Agreement To Develop 100 Restaurants in 19 African Countries (1/02)

Church's Chicken™, a division of AFC Enterprises, Inc., announced the signing of a Master franchise agreement with South African-based Steers Holdings, Jersey Ltd. to subfranchise the development and operation of 100 Church's Chicken restaurants over the next five years. The master Franchise agreement awards exclusive rights to Steers Holdings to subfranchise Church's Chicken restaurants in South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana, Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Cameroon. The first Restaurant is scheduled to open in South Africa by early April 2002. The restaurants will serve American Southern-style fried chicken, sandwiches, and traditional side items including Honey-Butter biscuits, jalapeno peppers, cole slaw, french fries, and mashed potatoes.

In addition to the Africa agreement, Church's signed franchise development agreements in 2001 to open restaurants in Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, Jamaica, Bahamas, Aruba, Curacao, and St. Marteen. Church's currently has franchised restaurants operating in the United States, Puerto Rico and eight other countries.

Church's Chicken, one of the world's largest quick-service chicken restaurant concepts, specializes in Southern-style chicken and side items such as mashed potatoes and gravy, okra, corn on the cob and its unique Honey- Butter biscuits. Church's is positioned as the New Value Leader, providing meals with large portions at low prices for price conscious consumers. Church's Chicken has more than 1,500 locations worldwide and had system-wide sales of approximately $878.8 million in 2000.