China.org.cn: KFC, a once rather lackluster American quick-service brand, has outperformed all competitors and in particular archrival and world market leader McDonald's, to become the biggest restaurant chain in China.
Whether measured by number of restaurants, revenue, or market share, KFC is far and away the No. 1 restaurant brand in China. Even more striking is its dominance over McDonald's, a position that is reversed in nearly every other country. McDonald's has 800 branches in China, compared to KFC's 2,200 and, with KFC opening 300 new branches per year, the gap is widening.
Taiwan-born Warren Liu, a former member of the company's Greater China executive committee who is in Beijing to promote a book about his experience with the company, is very clear about the reasons for this remarkable success story. KFC China, he says, quite simply went native.
