main
American Fast Food Chains Flourishing in New Zealand
The first American fast food restaurants appeared in New Zealand in the 1970s: Kentucky Fried Chicken (1971), Pizza Hut (1974) and McDonald's (1976).  In an excellent article in the New Zealand Journal of History Ian Brailsford writes,

"...the story of fast food in New Zealand does have a degree of inevitability about it.  By 1980 KFC, McDonald’s and Pizza Hut were the acknowledged market leaders.  Their rivals were already playing ‘catch up’.  A decade later these big three fast-food chains dominated the New Zealand take-away food business."

As Brailsford describes, fast food supplanted fish and chips as the ‘national takeaway food’ in the 1980s.  Brailsford also details how local franchises such as Georgie Pie and Homestead Chicken failed even as the American fast food chains grew.

Today, the big players in the fast food market are Restaurant Brands, which operates KFC (about 100 stores, over 90-percent of which it owns), Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and Carl's Jr..  The most prolific chain is Subway; its 250th store opened in Auckland in March 2013.  McDonald's, which calls itself Macca's in Australia and New Zealand, had 167 restaurants around the country as of 2017.  Domino's had 100 locations as of July 2016. 

From time to time one of the companies does something new or different.  McDonald's re-introduced the Georgie Pie in 2013, and in 2017 announced it was partnering with UberEATS to launch "McDelivery" starting at one of its Auckland area restaurants.  In Nov. 2016 Domino's reported "the first commercial delivery of food by drone to a customer, anywhere in the world, successfully completed in New Zealand this morning."  After a Taco Bell in Australia proved successful, Restaurant Brands is looking into opening up one in New Zealand soon. 

One firm which has not grown as well as expected is Starbucks.  A June 2006 article in the New Zealand Herald reported Starbucks had 44 stores, but was looking at "expanding to perhaps 100 stores throughout New Zealand."  However by 2012-13 it was closing stores; National Business Review quoted the group's chairman stating, "As New Zealanders, we have matured in our coffee tastes.  It is hard going up against the local competitors."

All in all, however, the industry appears to be doing well.  A June 2017 article in the New Zealand Herald reported that revenues had risen for both McDonald's and Burger King.  
March 24 - McDonald's in Kerikeri.
March 30 - Burger King in Whangarei.  Below: early April in Auckland.


Chain
(click to go to NZ site)
First Franchise
in U.S
Opened
in NZ
Stores

1952
Aug. 1971
Royal Oak
(Auckland suburb)
97
>
1958
Sept. 1974
New Lynn
(Auckland suburb)
?

1955
June 1976
Porirua
(Wellington area)
167
2017
>
1969
1988
Te Atatu
(West Auckland)
18
>
1953
1988
Manukau City
(Auckland area)
7
>
1954
1993
83
2016
>
1965
1995
Parnell
(Auckland suburb)
250+
Mar. 2013
>
  1971
1998 >
Parnell
(Auckland suburb)
23  >
1960
2003
100
July 2016
>
1950s
2012
19
>
1950
?
16


Notes.

Ian Brailsford.  ""If there's not one near you now, there soon will be': American Fast Food Chains Come to New Zealand."  New Zealand Journal of History, 39, 1 (2005).  http://www.nzjh.auckland.ac.nz/docs/2005/NZJH_39_1_05.pdf

"Food in 20th century New Zealand."  Ministry for Culture and Heritage, updated Aug. 5, 2014.  https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/no-pavlova-please/food-and-drink,

"McDonald's arrives in New Zealand."  Ministry for Culture and Heritage, updated Feb. 5, 2018. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/mcdonalds-arrives-new-zealand,

Laura Walters.  "The evolution of New Zealand's pizza industry."  Stuff, March 4, 2016.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/77077227/the-evolution-of-new-zealands-pizza-industry

Sophie Boot.  "McDonald's tops Burger King in New Zealand sales as both see revenues rise." New Zealand Herald, June 12, 2017.  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11874767

Georgina Bond.  "A double shot from Starbucks."  New Zealand Herald, June 8, 2006.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10385746

Tina Morrison.  "Ailing Starbucks stores to close ahead of possible sale."  National Business Review, July 2, 2013.  https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/restaurant-brands-closes-ailing-starbucks-stores-entertains-offers-ahead-sale-decision-bd-14

Chloe Winter.  "Fast food operator Restaurant Brands to open Taco Bell in NZ in 'not too distant future.'"  Stuff.  April 18, 2018.  https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/103164636/fast-food-operator-restaurant-brands-to-open-taco-bell-in-nz-in-not-too-distant-future

See also:

A few selected press releases

Franchise NZ Marketing Ltd.