Chinafotopress

It is lunchtime on a weekday at a fast food restaurant and the queues are deep. At first glance, this could be any bustling fast food joint in the world, with its sanitary look and efficient service. But it is not: it is a branch of the most successful restaurant empire in China, Kentucky Fried Chicken, in northeastern Beijing.

This is a scene that repeats across China at lunchtime. Fronted by its genial mascot, Colonel Sanders, KFC has opened over 2,000 units since 1987 to become the Chin ......es any economic travails are more likely to hit export industries rather than the service sector, and the lower classes rather than Yum! Brands’ middle-class targets.

For his part, Liu is optimistic about the future. He even  dismisses Yum! Brands’ internal estimate that in 10 years’ time KFC China’s contribution to corporate earnings will be around 40% of the global total. By then, he thinks it will be somewhere over half. The Colonel has every reason to keep smiling, it seems.