Fast-food chain Restaurant Brands says it wants to expand its Carl's Jr. franchise into the South Island for the first time in the coming year, but is struggling to find a location for an outlet in quake-damaged Christchurch.
The operator announced a 6.4 percent sales increase over the fourth quarter.
Sales rose by $4.7 million to nearly $78 million in the three months to February.
Restaurant Brands also owns KFC, Starbucks, and Pizza Hut, and launched Carl's Jr. outlets in November 2012.
Restaurant Brands chief executive Russel Creedy says the company has six Carl's Jr. stores, with three more under construction.
He says Restaurant Brands has a policy of selling some of its regional Pizza Hut stores in some of the smaller towns, and it now has 51 stores and the whole network is over 80 stores.
Mr Creedy says the outlook for the coming year for Restaurant Brands is positive.