SHANGHAI, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. fast-food chain Popeyes will open 10 stores in the Chinese market this year and add no fewer than 1,700 branches in the next 10 years, said Lu Yongchen, CEO of Tim Hortons China, which in March acquired the exclusive rights to develop and sub-franchise the fried chicken brand on the Chinese mainland and in Macao.
Tim Hortons, a Canadian coffeehouse and restaurant chain, has upgraded Popeyes in terms of product development, store design and customer experience, Lu said.
The CEO noted that the company remains bullish about the prospects of China's catering market. Guidelines recently issued by the State Council regarding the further optimization of the foreign investment environment have greatly boosted the confidence of foreign brands, he said.
"China's catering market is huge, and brands can achieve rapid growth as long as they do their own business well," Lu said. "We will work closely with Popeyes for collaborative development and will support and empower each other in terms of industrial chains, supply chains and digital operations."
