Financially troubled Kentucky Fried Chicken (Bermuda) Ltd. (KFC) is on the lookout for an operations manager to revitalise the company's fortunes. The position will replace one held by a former senior manager -- who has left the company -- along with additional duties.

The move is part of the company's reorganisation which is currently underway said local management consultant Graham Redford, who was hired in February. He would not comment about the employee who left and no layoffs were planned for KFC's 50 employees during the reorganisation.

"It's going well,'' he said and declined to comment further.

According to the advertisement in The Royal Gazette the person hired for the position will be responsible for daily restaurant operations, staffing, menu planning and costing, profitability, inventory and budget control, operating plans, employee training and supervision of food preparation and service.

KFC was baled out in February by Lines Overseas Management Ltd. (LOM) sponsored rights offering to existing shareholders. The move raised $828,000 in new capital. KFC had losses of about $900,000 spanning the two-and-one-half years from June 30, 1994 to the end of 1996. Before the rights offering it had debts of about $650,000 to a variety of creditors plus $900,000 to the Bank of Bermuda Ltd. and to Regina Via Ltd., which owns one of the buildings KFC rents.

KFC's board of directors was also reorganised at a special general meeting in January. KFC operates outlets on Queen Street and on Burnaby Street in Hamilton. The share price of KFC on the Bermuda Stock Exchange fell from a high of $17 in May 1996 to $3 in March. KFC last traded at $31 on April 25.

RESTAURANT EAT