Chitir Chicken’s Finnish rebrand leads to contract dispute

The rebranding of Chitir Chicken restaurants in Finland as Dust & Fry has led to a contract dispute. According to a report published by Finnish newspaper Hämeen Sanomat on 28 September 2026, Makfry Group, which manages the international chain, is considering seeking compensation from CTR Finland Oy, the former holder of the Finnish licence. The parties disagree over the basis for the departure, and negotiations are ongoing.

Around 20 restaurants changed their name in the spring

In March, CTR Finland announced that it was leaving the Chitir Chicken chain managed by Makfry Group. Dust & Fry Oy was established as the parent company of the new chain, which took over many of the Chitir Chicken restaurants operating in Finland. Around 20 restaurants changed their name to Dust & Fry in May and June.

CTR Finland’s chief executive, Mesut Gürkan, is also chief executive of Dust & Fry, which was established in March. Explaining the change to Avecmedia in the spring, he said that the licence agreement with Makfry Group to operate the restaurants in Finland had expired. According to Gürkan, the departure took place “in compliance with every clause”.

Gürkan described two different circumstances behind the restaurants’ transition. Some chose to switch to the Dust & Fry brand. Others, he said, were required to do so under their existing franchise agreements with CTR Finland. His account therefore suggests that the decision was not made on the same basis at every restaurant.

CTR Finland began developing the Chitir Chicken chain in Finland in 2019. According to Hämeen Sanomat, its collaboration with Makfry Group initially rested on a verbal agreement. The current disagreement concerns the subsequent departure and the restaurants’ move to a new brand.

Makfry and CTR Finland disagree over the departure

Makfry Group’s position differs from CTR Finland’s interpretation. The international parent company says the departure constituted a breach of contract. Makfry’s head of international operations, Sadi Akgül, confirmed to Hämeen Sanomat that the company was considering seeking compensation from CTR Finland.

The report concerns potential claims and a dispute between the parties. It does not report that legal proceedings have been brought or that a court has issued a ruling. Breach of contract is therefore Makfry’s stated position, not an established legal finding reported in the article. Likewise, CTR Finland’s view that the agreement ended properly is that party’s own interpretation.

Gürkan confirmed to Hämeen Sanomat that there was an ongoing “dispute” and that negotiations were taking place over the departure from Makfry and the name change. Avecmedia also confirmed with Ali Giray of PM Ravintolat on 28 September that the process was still ongoing. Based on the published information, the matter had therefore not been resolved at that point.

According to Gürkan, the switch to Dust & Fry improved restaurant sales. However, the published material provides no sales figures, comparison period or breakdown by restaurant. The claim of improved sales therefore remains the chief executive’s assessment and cannot be used to calculate the financial impact of the rebrand across the restaurants as a whole.

Potential claims do not target individual franchisees

For Finland’s franchising community, an important distinction is whom Makfry is considering seeking compensation from. According to Hämeen Sanomat, the potential claims concern CTR Finland, not restaurants run by individual franchisees. The dispute between the chains should therefore not be described as a claim against individual restaurants.

The restaurant in Hämeenlinna illustrates the distinction between a local business and developments at chain level. Previously trading as Chitir Chicken, it is now Dust & Fry. Its current owners bought the restaurant in the spring. The report does not mention any compensation claims against them.

It is also important to distinguish between the licence agreement covering Finnish operations and the restaurants’ own franchise agreements. Gürkan cites the expiry of the former as the basis for leaving the chain, but obligations under the latter as the reason some restaurants changed brand. This distinction helps explain why the same report addresses both the international chain’s rights and local operators’ move to a new brand.

The published information does not disclose the full terms of the agreements. It therefore does not establish which party’s interpretation of the departure is correct, nor does it allow an assessment of any individual operator’s contractual position. What has been confirmed is that the parties disagree and that compensation claims are being considered.

Chitir Chicken continues in Finland through a new licensee

In the spring, it was widely reported that all Chitir Chicken restaurants in Finland would change their name. According to Hämeen Sanomat, this did not happen. Restaurants continue to operate under the Chitir Chicken name in Joensuu, Lahti and Kuopio. The chain therefore did not leave Finland when the rebranding took place.

PM Ravintolat Oy has held the licence for Chitir Chicken’s Finnish operations since the spring. The company is looking for a franchisee and suitable premises in Hämeenlinna. This is a search for an operator and a site, not a confirmed restaurant opening. The published material gives no address or opening date for a new outlet.

According to Makfry, there are around 200 Chitir Chicken restaurants. Before the Finnish restaurants moved to Dust & Fry, Finland had more of the chain’s restaurants than any country other than Turkey. The change therefore affected a country with a significant place in the chain’s restaurant network, although the report does not specify its share of sales.

Practical takeaway: Anyone considering joining a chain or buying a restaurant should check who holds the Finnish licence and what their own agreement says about a change of brand. In this case, the chain-level dispute, the restaurant’s trading name and the local operator’s position are separate issues.