SHANGHAI, Jan. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yum China Holdings,
Inc. (the "Company" or "Yum China",
NYSE: YUMC and HKEX: 9987) announced that its KFC brand is
increasingly tapping into regional Chinese cuisines and adding
traditional local dishes to its menu. In 2021, to support further
market penetration and meet the diversified needs of Chinese
consumers, KFC launched 12 regionally inspired menu items across
dayparts and introduced regional menu items for the first time.
Over the years, localization has been a strategic focus for
KFC's food innovation in China,
including through the introduction of Chinese breakfast products,
such as congee, pancakes, rice rolls and bean curd
pudding.
In January 2021, KFC launched hot
dry noodles at more than 100 stores in Wuhan, making it the first noodle product
since entering China. In September
2021, after launching a series of locally inspired snacks in
different cities, hot dry noodles became the first regional menu
item to launch at KFC stores nationwide as a Limited Time Offer
("LTO"). Over 1 million bowls of hot dry noodles were sold within a
week of launching, becoming KFC's best performing LTO breakfast
item in the past three years.
"China prides itself on having rich and diverse food scenes.
Almost every city has its own food specialties, particularly when
it comes to breakfast," said Joey
Wat, CEO of Yum China.
"Launching regional menu items is part of our strategy to
relentlessly pursue food innovation, which helps us respond to
fast-changing consumer demands and keep up with the latest
trends."
Introducing menu items that integrate elements of local Chinese
food culture in different regions is helping KFC to better resonate
with local customers, strengthen customer relationships and drive
loyalty. Including the launch of hot dry noodles in January 2021, 12 locally inspired menu items were
launched in 10 regional markets during the year, covering
breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner dayparts. The regional
breakfast products, including hot dry noodles, xiaolongbao (steamed
dumplings) and hulatang (hot pepper soup) have been well received
by customers. The launch of xiaolongbao in Hangzhou was expanded to Shanghai and other cities in the Yangtze River
Delta region, generating positive feedback from customers. Hot dry
noodles and xiaolongbao have since become permanent fixtures
on KFC's breakfast menus in Wuhan
and Hangzhou, respectively.
Providing an authentic local taste is essential to the success
of regional menu items. KFC has chosen to cooperate with
time-honored Chinese brands when developing regional menu items,
while leveraging its strong supply chain capabilities to source
high quality local ingredients. Selected regional menu items have
been added to KFC's retail product portfolio, available both in
stores and via online channels. In September
2021, hot dry noodles, hulatang and yanpi wonton were
launched locally via KFC's retail channels, including the KFC Super
App, and e-commerce stores.
Forward-Looking Statements
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the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We intend all
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About Yum China Holdings, Inc.
Yum China Holdings, Inc. is a licensee of Yum! Brands in
mainland China. It has exclusive rights in mainland China to KFC,
China's leading quick-service restaurant brand, Pizza Hut, the
leading casual dining restaurant brand in China, and Taco Bell, a California-based restaurant chain serving
innovative Mexican-inspired food. Yum
China also owns the Little Sheep, Huang Ji Huang, East Dawning and COFFii &
JOY concepts outright. In addition, Yum
China has partnered with Lavazza to explore and develop the
Lavazza coffee shop concept in China. The Company had 11,415 restaurants in
over 1,600 cities at the end of September
2021.
In 2021, Yum China ranked # 363
on the Fortune 500 list and was named to TIME100 Most Influential
Companies list. The Company was also named to the Bloomberg
Gender-Equality Index and was certified as a Top Employer 2021 in
China by the Top Employers
Institute, both for the third consecutive year. In addition,
Yum China has been selected as
member of both Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI): World Index
and Emerging Market Index. For more information, please visit
http://ir.yumchina.com.
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SOURCE Yum China Holdings, Inc.