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Hong Kong - Fast food giant McDonald's Corp said on Tuesday that more than half its future expansion in China will involve drive-through restaurants, taking advantage of the country's soaring car ownership and growing taste for Western lifestyles.
"There are more and more cars and a busier lifestyle," said Jeffrey Schwartz, chief executive for McDonald's China. "The majority of business going forward will be drive-throughs."
Schwartz was speaking after an opening ceremony for the company's new food studio and quality center in Hong Kong, which will coordinate menu development and quality control in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
McDonald's opened its first Chinese drive-through in the southern province of Guangdong, near Hong Kong, last December. It added a second one this year in Guangdong and a third one in Shanghai, Schwartz said.
Beijing will have one by next year, and many retail complex developers have expressed interest in similar outlets, he said.
The chain is capitalizing on the increasingly mobile middle class in China, which saw its auto market grow 30% last year to 5.7 million vehicle sales, according to local industry figures - just behind Japan's 5.8 million.
McDonald's first ventured into the Chinese market 15 years ago. The chain says China represents the company's most significant growth, and the company now operates 760 stores in the country.
About 100 to 125 store openings are planned every year and more than 1 000 stores are expected to operate in the country by the 2008 Olympics.
The chain is competing with other foreign chains, especially Yum! Brands Inc's (YUM) KFC and Pizza Hut, which are also forging ahead. Burger King (BKC) opened its first outlet in Shanghai last year.