KFC coming to Tibet

Yum Brands Inc will open its first KFC location in the Tibet autonomous region in the first half of 2016, an official with the company said.

Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, said in a statement that the first American-style fried chicken eatery in Tibet will be in Lhasa, the capital.

"A KFC restaurant will be opened by a franchisee in Tibet in the first half of next year to serve local consumers and tourists alike," a Yum Brands representative told China Daily on Thursday. "The restaurant will incorporate local design elements, provide employment opportunities, and support the development of the regional supply chain."

In 2004, KFC shelved plans to open in Tibet, saying it was not "economically feasible", according to Reuters.

Yum Brands has been looking to expand in China as the company prepares to spin off its business unit there. In October, Yum Brands said it would split operations into two independent companies. Yum's business in China, which accounts for 57 percent of the company's revenue, would become an independent company and maintain headquarters in Shanghai.

Yum China wants to triple its restaurant count from 6,900 to 20,000 and has opened nearly 700 locations in 2015, company data showed.

Yum expects to operate 7,100 stores by the end of the year, according to The Wall Street Journal. The fast-food chain owner also said there are plans to list the new company on the New York Stock Exchange, the Journal reported.

Yum held an investor meeting on Thursday in Texas, where the company shared more news about the China-unit spinoff, which is scheduled for late 2016.

Yum Brands, based in Louisville, Kentucky, has more than 41,000 restaurants in roughly 125 countries. The company had revenue of more than $13 billion in 2014.

Reuters contributed to this story.

jackfreifelder@chinadailyusa.com