KFC opens 240-seat restaurant at Barcelona-El Prat with Ibersol

KFC has opened its first restaurant at an airport in mainland Spain through its franchisee Ibersol. Opened on 12 November 2026 in Terminal 1 at Barcelona-El Prat, the restaurant covers 746 square metres and seats 240 people. For the franchising sector, the opening brings together brand expansion and airport catering concessions.

A restaurant in the Sky Center Norte area

The new KFC is located in Sky Center Norte in Terminal 1 at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport. Its 240 seats are split between an indoor dining area and an outdoor terrace. The project has created 52 jobs, according to information from Just Retail reported by L’Express Franchise España.

The restaurant is based at an airport handling more than 50 million passengers a year. That figure refers to the airport as a whole, not the restaurant’s customer base, but gives a sense of the scale of its setting.

KFC hopes this outlet will become one of the best-performing restaurants in its Spanish network. This is a company expectation, not a proven result following the opening. João Almeida, Managing Director of KFC Spain and Portugal, links the project to the brand’s expansion into high-footfall locations.

There is also an important geographical distinction: this is KFC’s first restaurant at an airport in mainland Spain, rather than a claim covering all Spanish airports.

A new look and a dedicated drinks area

The El Prat restaurant is one of the first new openings in Spain to feature KFC’s new visual identity, with a more contemporary look. Features include an illuminated rotating bucket and numerous digital screens.

It also introduces the first separate Kwench by KFC area, dedicated to drinks, desserts and coffee. This adds a distinct space within the restaurant alongside the chain’s core menu.

The combination of an indoor dining area, terrace and dedicated drinks and desserts space defines the format chosen for this location. The published information about the opening does not announce plans to introduce the same configuration at other Spanish airports.

Ibersol, the franchisee behind the opening

The restaurant is operated by Ibersol. Its chairman, Antonio Pinto Sousa, says the group manages more than 140 KFC restaurants across Spain, Portugal and Angola. That figure covers all three markets combined, not just its Spanish network.

With this opening, KFC now has 56 restaurants in Catalonia, including 45 in the province of Barcelona, according to figures published by Just Retail. The airport restaurant strengthens its presence in a region where the brand already has an extensive network.

For those in franchising, the project illustrates the role of multi-unit operators. This is not an entrepreneur opening their first outlet, but a franchisee with an international portfolio of restaurants under the same brand.

The airport concession: central to the project

The opening forms part of a partnership with airport operator Aena. In February 2026, Alimarket reported that Ibersol Travel had won a lot in El Prat’s catering tender covering around 20 outlets, with concession terms ranging from eight to twelve years.

According to Ibersol figures reported by Alimarket, the lot accounted for 33.1% of the total tender value measured by tender rent. The full tender covered 48 outlets and approximately 20,500 square metres, with premises scheduled to be handed over from mid-2026. These figures describe the tender, not the KFC restaurant alone.

The practical takeaway: anyone considering an airport franchise needs to distinguish between the agreement with the brand and access to premises through a concession. At El Prat, Ibersol’s experience as a franchisee is combined with its involvement in airport catering; this is not a conventional high-street opening.