Restaurants of Jamaica unveils multi-hundred-million expansion, Pizza Hut Portmore opening March 2026

Restaurants of Jamaica (ROJ) announced a multi‑hundred‑million expansion that will bring a new Pizza Hut to Cumberland, Portmore and new and upgraded KFC sites across the island. Mark Myers, ROJ managing director, said, “At Pizza Hut Jamaica, we remain confident in the strength and potential of the Jamaican market.”

ROJ said the Portmore Pizza Hut represents a major component of the push and is scheduled to “come on stream by March” 2026. Media reports cite an investment of approximately J$180 million for the Cumberland site in one account and $180 million in another; Jamaica Observer described the broader package as “almost $500 million.” The Cumberland restaurant will become Pizza Hut Jamaica’s 16th location and its 11th outside Kingston and St Andrew, and it will be Pizza Hut’s second outlet in Portmore, complementing the Braeton restaurant and making it the brand’s third site in St Catherine.

The expansion package also includes a rural focus for KFC. Jamaica Observer reports ROJ will spend $285 million to open a KFC in Salem, St Ann; when Salem opens it will be KFC Jamaica’s 44th restaurant islandwide and the third drive‑through in St Ann, joining Ochi/Ocho Rios Eight Rivers and Drax Hall. Myers framed the Salem opening as strategic, calling it a “deliberate move to optimise its restaurant network in St Ann for an enhanced customer experience.”

ROJ has already invested in heritage locations. Verdictfoodservice and GlobalData report a $120 million renovation of the KFC outlet on Lower King Street, a site that was KFC’s eighth restaurant in Jamaica more than 30 years ago. That upgrade carries an estimated potential to create 41 new jobs at different levels, and company messaging quoted in that report includes “This KFC location is more than just a business for ROJ; it represents decades of history. We are bullish on Jamaica all the way.” ROJ has also signalled plans to increase KFC presence in Christiana, Manchester, to strengthen rural coverage.

Jobs and community commitments are central to ROJ’s public case for expansion. The company’s statements emphasise “growth, job creation, and delivering even greater taste, value, and convenience,” and ROJ has been active in relief work: Black Enterprise and Jamaican Observer reporting note an $18 million pledge in cash and meal support following Hurricane Melissa and a prior $7 million donation to 14 children’s homes tied to the company’s 50th anniversary. Myers said, “Jamaica is our home, and we are deeply committed to helping our people rise again,” and added ROJ has activated internal relief programmes for impacted team members.

ROJ describes the Pizza Hut rollout as building a “future‑forward Pizza Hut” that is “more accessible, more digital, and more connected to the communities we serve,” and that expansion will run alongside upgrades to existing restaurants and investments in people development. Reports vary in currency notation for the component figures; the company has not published a single itemised table reconciling the component amounts with the “almost $500 million” description, and ROJ has been asked to confirm the currency and provide an itemised breakdown ahead of the Cumberland opening in March 2026.