New Zealand-based Restaurant Brands’ third quarter sales are up 45.1 per cent following its string of Australian and Hawaiian acquisitions.

Restaurant Brands’ total sales during the third quarter of the financial year (12 weeks ended 4 December 2017) were $173.3 million, an increase of 45.1 per cent or $53.9 million on the equivalent period last year.

The bulk of the increase ($39.2 million) came from the 37 Taco Bell and 45 Pizza Hut outlets in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan acquired in March 2017.

The Kiwi firm’s acquisition of KFC stores in Australia contributed $10.8 million with $3.9 million coming from New Zealand operations.

Group same store sales for the quarter were up 6.2 per cent with New Zealand operations up 4.7 per cent and Australia up 11.4 per cent.

Year to date sales were $559.5 million, an increase of 49.0 per cent over the prior year on a total basis, and up 6.6 per cent on a same store basis.

Total company store numbers were up by 96 on the equivalent period last year to 310, primarily from the 82 store Hawaiian acquisition and a further 17 KFC stores acquired in Australia.

Year to date sales for KFC Australia were $A100.5 million, an increase of 5.9 per cent on a same store basis.

Restaurant Brands holds the rights to the KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks Coffee and Carl’s Jr brands in NZ and has turned its focus to overseas expansion.

Total company store numbers rose by 96 from a year earlier to 310, reflecting the 82 store North Pacific acquisition and a further 17 KFC stores acquired in Australia.

The 37 Taco Bell and 45 Pizza Hut stores in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan contributed US$27.3 million to third-quarter sales and in the 39 weeks since the acquisition, they contributed US$91.2m.

Its 59 KFC stores in Australia contributed A$33.7 million, an increase of 5.9 per cent on a same-store basis from the year-earlier period. The company started the year with 42 Australian stores.

KFC New Zealand lifted sales by 7.6 per cent to $73.5m, or 5.6 per cent on a same-store basis. The number of outlets rose by one to 93.

Sales at the 34 company-owned Pizza Hut New Zealand outlets fell 2.5 per cent to $9.3m. There are 61 Pizza Hut outlets operated by independent franchisees.