Erie KFC owner is CEO of Ampex Brands, which owns 600 restaurants

Updated Aug. 15, 2026, 6:18 a.m. ET

Tabbassum Mumtaz is the CEO of Ampex Brands, which owns Erie County’s four KFC locations.Three of the four local KFC restaurants have recently closed due to health code violations.Mumtaz has not been available for comment regarding the health department closures.

The owner of Erie County’s four KFC locations is a big deal in the restaurant business.

Tabbassum Mumtaz is president and CEO of Ampex Brands, based in Richardson, Texas, also operating other Yum Brands franchises of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and 7-Eleven, according to his LinkedIn profile and several industry news stories, including Qwoted.com, an online business and media magazine. The company owns 600 locations across the U.S. and revenues close to $500 million; according to restaurant finance site, restfinance.com. Ampex ranks 14th among the nation’s largest multi-brand franchisees.

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Three of the Erie County KFC’s have been closed due to health code violations in the past three weeks. Inspection reports list Mumtaz as the owner of all four of the Erie-area restaurants, but he has not made himself available to the health department or the media for comment.

Ampex also owns and is the franchisor for Au Bon Pain and owner/operator of Texas-based American bistro concept restaurant Bellagreen. The company also does real estate and other direct investments.

Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Growth of Mumtaz’s Ampex Brands

Mumtaz, grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, and immigrated to the United States in the 1990s, according to Qwoted. He became a franchisee of a Wendy’s in 1995, and started operating Ampex Brands in 2009.

Ampex Brands brings in approximately $500 million in yearly revenue through its Yum! holdings and 7-Eleven locations, according to QSR Magazine, but Mumtaz saw more opportunity in becoming the franchisor. 

“If you think about the brands we have, there was very little space for us to grow within the franchise concept,” Mumtaz told QSR. “The only other option was to either buy a franchise or create our own unique concept. So, that was one of our biggest motivators.” 

The company has grown through acquisitions and expansion of corporate units. His children, Sameer and Soha Mumtaz, are also involved in the business, managing 7-Eleven operations and corporate wellness initiatives, according to D Magazine. The business now has interests in industries such as maintenance management, back-office services, real estate development, strategic planning and development, landscaping and hydro jetting (using a high‑pressure hose and nozzle to blast water through drain or sewer lines. This removes grease, mineral scale, tree roots, sediment, and other buildup, according to rateyourplumber.com.)

KFC announced in 2025, according to the Indianapolis Star, that it was relocating its headquarters from Louisville to Plano, Texas to be closer to its industrial partners.

According to kfc.com/franchising, Yum! Brands franchise partners, including Mumtaz, are in control of nearly 24,000 KFC restaurants around the world, including 4,000 in the U.S.

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“We’ve always fed people in ways that make them feel at home,” according to kfc.com/franchising. “It’s just as important we feed their potential, too.”

Contact Jennie Geisler atjgeisler@timesnews.com. Find her weekly newsletter athttps://profile.goerie.com/newsletters/erielicious/.