Our reporter Xie Lan, intern journalist Liang Aonan
On December 15th, KFC Grand Canal Restaurant opened grandly at the Wulinmen Pier in Hangzhou. At this point, as the leading and largest fast food brand in China, KFC has officially surpassed 10000 stores in China, marking another important milestone in the brand's history.
On the opening day, Chen Xinhua, President of the China Hotel Association, Chen Hongtao, Secretary General of the China Rural Development Foundation, Wu Bulikasimu, Deputy Director of the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, Mai Tu Song, Dr. FredHu, Chairman of Yum! Brands China, Ms. Joey Wat, CEO of Yum! Brands China, and Mr. Wang Tao, General Manager of the KFC China brand, jointly attended the opening ceremony of KFC Wanda Store.
From one family to ten thousand families
From 400 million to 700 million people
In 1987, KFC opened China's first Western style fast food chain restaurant in Qianmen, Beijing. With the opening of KFC Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal Restaurant, from north to south and from one to ten thousand, KFC has achieved its first "ten thousand stores" goal in China and will step into the next stage of sustained and healthy growth.
The new Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal restaurant adheres to KFC's brand philosophy of "friendly and friendly, integrated into the community, loved by neighbors, and environmentally friendly". Through a series of convenient service facilities with warmth and human touch, as well as ubiquitous green and environmentally friendly designs, it creates a new ideal community life scene of food, environmental protection, and neighborhood integration. From the doll enthusiastically interacting with pedestrians on the restaurant square, the 24-hour free drinking water point, to the red ribbon benches on both sides of the riverside restaurant that are convenient for passersby to sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery; From bamboo tabletops and cork backrests made from renewable materials to ceilings made from recyclable wood fiber construction waste on a large scale, the detailed experience on the way into the restaurant reflects the brand's commitment to being a good neighbor around us and long-term exploration of sustainable development.
Ms. Joey Wat, CEO of Yum! Brands China, stated: In 1987, KFC arrived in China and opened its first Western style fast food chain restaurant in Qianmen, Beijing. For 36 years, we have adhered to our original intention and continuously spread food and beauty along the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal. Today, KFC's first ten thousand stores officially opened in Hangzhou, which is not only an important milestone in brand history, but also a new starting point for KFC's future journey. Starting with ten thousand, we are about to enter the next fast lane In the stage of rapid growth, it is expected that by 2026, KFC's food and services will reach over 700 million consumers in China, with a population growth of over 50%, allowing more people to easily enjoy convenient and fast delicious food, and making KFC the accessible daily dining choice
Behind KFC China's expansion into ten thousand stores and anchoring larger goals is the brand's firm confidence in long-term expansion into the Chinese market. Next, KFC will focus on three major strategies: expanding its store network, developing new product categories, and optimizing prices to fully promote the achievement of its goals. With a strong supply chain, the brand will accelerate the expansion of its store size in the Chinese market, striving to gradually cover 1100 cities and towns to be entered; With a keen insight into consumer demand and continuous innovation ability, following the principles of high cost-effectiveness and innovation, we continuously develop more best-selling staple foods represented by finger sucking original chicken, Portuguese egg tarts, secret sauce whole chicken, and beef burgers. The brand "100 million US dollars club" (a single product with annual sales exceeding 100 million US dollars) looks forward to more new members, continuously iterating and expanding to respond to the new wave of daily and demand oriented consumption; And fully leveraging its scale advantage, following the launch of a series of cost-effective options such as the "19.9 Three Piece Set", we will further expand the price range from breakfast to dinner and promote service fee reduction and profit sharing, effectively expanding the breadth of products and services. KFC firmly believes that as long as it maintains its flexibility and resilience, the brand will achieve longer-term development in China.
From delicious to beautiful, always "on the road"
On the occasion of the celebration of thousands of stores, KFC has simultaneously launched a new brand proposition of "always good taste", officially announcing that the brand's high-quality development has entered the next stage.
As the enlightenment of Western fast food for Chinese consumers, KFC has always insisted on bringing classic, innovative, and delicious flavors to Chinese consumers for 36 years. KFC's nine classic brands, represented by Finger sucking Original Chicken, Spicy Chicken Leg Burger, and Old Beijing Chicken Roll, have relied on strict quality control and have remained consistent for decades, accumulating unforgettable finger sucking memories for generations of Chinese consumers.
While inheriting classics, KFC has never stopped innovating in delicious food. At the event, the brand officially launched its AI food creation platform - MENUX, taking the lead in combining "digitalization" with "product development" to create and lead a new era of delicious innovation in the industry. Through this AI food inspired creative tool, KFC looks forward to inviting consumers to freely create recipes and collaborate with brands to create a "forever delicious" choice.
On top of deliciousness, KFC also hopes to make every delicious taste accessible and accessible to everyone, "always by our side.". In recent years, brands have launched a food frenzy represented by "Crazy Thursday" to provide customers with more choices and make affordability a norm; On the other hand, backed by a flexible and resilient supply chain system, KFC's diverse store formats are also taking advantage of the vast coverage of thousands of stores, allowing more consumers to enjoy KFC's companionship anytime, anywhere, from cities to towns.
From deliciousness to companionship, everything is beautiful - KFC believes that by maximizing customer experience, "eternal beauty" will happen. To this end, all over 300000 employees of KFC adhere to the service philosophy of "Crazy for Customers", provide stock incentives and comprehensive care such as "Restaurant Manager First (RGMNo. 1)" corporate culture, and always take higher customer satisfaction as the unchanged direction of progress; As a catering brand with 400 million members, the brand is also committed to forward-looking layout of digital services, making every appearance of good taste delicious. This is thanks to years of meticulous efforts in digital transformation and online services. Currently, KFC's self operated online platform has contributed 30% of sales.
Mr. Wang Tao, General Manager of KFC China Brand, stated: On the occasion of the celebration of thousands of stores, KFC has also ushered in a brand renewal and upgrading, launching a new brand proposition - 'Always Good Taste'. We will continue to wholeheartedly meet the constantly upgrading catering needs of Chinese consumers, adhere to the brand concept of 'Always Delicious, Always Accompanying, and Forever Beautiful', adhere to the quality of kitchen products, and continue to bring classic and innovative flavors to consumers. In the new journey of thousands of stores, Let's embrace beauty together and move forward with all our hearts! "
For KFC, which has entered the era of thousands of stores, a new journey has just begun. Standing at the forefront and anchoring the future, KFC will be guided by its new brand proposition of "always having a good taste", fulfill its unchanged commitment to consumers with original intention and perseverance, and inject momentum, vitality, and creativity into the sustainable development of China's catering industry.