More customers and a growing appetite for food delivery helped Simbisa Brands lift revenue from its Kenyan operations by 11% in the year ended June 2026, even as average spending fell. The restaurant group recorded a 14% increase in customer volumes and a 59% rise in delivery orders, driving operating profit growth of 16%.
Simbisa, whose Kenyan brands include Chicken Inn, Pizza Inn and Creamy Inn, said average customer spending in US dollar terms declined by 3% during the financial year.
The rise in customer traffic helped the company grow sales despite pressure on household spending and strong competition in Kenya’s quick-service restaurant market. Operating profit grew faster than revenue as Simbisa benefited from tighter cost controls and better efficiency across its operations.
Food delivery was one of the main areas of growth during the year, with orders increasing by 59%. By the end of June, delivery sales made up about 27% of turnover in the Kenyan market, showing the growing importance of online ordering to the restaurant business.
The strong performance followed a period of continued growth earlier in the financial year. In the three months to March 2026, Simbisa Kenya recorded a 15% year-on-year increase in revenue to US$21.6 million.
Customer volumes during the quarter rose 21% to 3.5 million, while delivery orders increased by 71%. The business was handling an average of about 6,000 delivery orders each day during the period.
Simbisa had earlier reported a 60% rise in Kenyan delivery orders in the six months to December 2025. During the same period, US dollar revenue increased by 8%, while customer volumes grew by 12%.
The results point to a growing change in how customers access fast food in Kenya, with delivery and digital ordering taking a bigger role alongside visits to physical restaurants.
The company said factors such as increased smartphone use, urbanisation, digital payments and demand for convenience are supporting the growth of restaurant delivery in the country.
Simbisa finished the 2026 financial year with 257 outlets in Kenya, five more than the previous year. The company also refurbished 19 existing outlets as part of efforts to improve the performance of its established restaurant network and the experience of customers.
The Kenyan network had reached 259 trading counters by March 2026 after nine new outlets were opened and one closed over the preceding 12 months. By that time, 11 outlets had also undergone refurbishment.
At group level, Simbisa recorded revenue of US$367.19 million during the financial year. Customer volumes across its nine markets increased by 11% to 68.8 million, while average real spending rose by 8%.
Group operating profit increased by 27.8% to US$58.06 million, while cash generated from operations rose by 27.1% to US$65.20 million.
Profit before tax increased by 36.2% to US$31.93 million, while profit after tax rose by 42.7% to US$24.13 million.
The company added 29 net outlets during the year, increasing its total network from 730 to 759 stores.
Company-owned outlets increased from 604 to 629, while franchised outlets rose from 126 to 130.
Simbisa also increased its capital spending by 45.7% to Sh3.01 billion, up from Sh2.07 billion, as it continued investing in its restaurant network.
Total assets increased by 18.2% to Sh31.55 billion, while shareholders’ equity rose by 17% to Sh14.79 billion. Liabilities stood at Sh16.76 billion, compared with Sh14.05 billion previously.
The group’s cash and cash equivalents also recorded a sharp increase, rising 78.4% to Sh2.83 billion from Sh1.59 billion.
The stronger financial performance resulted in higher returns to shareholders, with headline earnings per share increasing by 45.6% to Sh5.61 from Sh3.85.
Simbisa raised its total dividend per share by 45.3% to Sh2.02 from Sh1.39. The amount included a final dividend of Sh0.81 per share.
In Kenya, the results show a business gaining more sales from higher customer numbers, delivery and better use of its existing outlets, even as customers spent less on average.