Yum China Holdings has opened its 10,000th KFC location in China, marking a milestone for the fast food chain after 36 years in the country.

The new store is located on the banks of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which bridges northern and southern China.

“As the first western QSR restaurant brand in China to reach this incredible milestone, KFC China’s 10,000th store opening is a proud moment for all of us, demonstrating the brand’s deep bond with Chinese consumers across generations for over 36 years,” said Yum China CEO Joey Wat.

Yum China is seeking to expand further into 1100 untapped markets in China and is currently proactively broadening its customer base with the introduction of new products such as Juicy Whole Chicken and Beef Burgers, which generated over $100 million in sales.

The company also intends to open more than 300 Kcoffee standalone stores by the end of 2024.

“Presently serving just one-third of China’s population, our goal is for KFC China to reach over half by 2026,” said Wat.

KFC China plans to exceed its 1200 annual net new store openings in the next three years with 15 per cent to 20 per cent expected to be franchise stores, in line with the target of reaching 20,000 stores by FY26.

Yum China operates 14,000 restaurants under six brands namely KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Lavazza, Little Sheep, and Huang Ji Huang.