McDonald's considers reforms for Chinese tastes
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-11-09 08:54

McDonald's is considering the change of its mode of business in China to better adapt to the diversity of Chinese tastes, according to a Chinese newspaper.

It will divide its business in China into four zones, increasing the east and central zones on the basis of the previous two zones of the south and north, the First Financial Daily reported Monday.

Jeffrey Schwartz, newly-appointed president of McDonald's China, said 80 percent of the menu of the four zones will be the same andother 20 percent are allowed to be different in order to reflect the regional tastes.

He also said McDonald's will open outlets in more areas in the future to make McDonald food accessible to more customers.

According to sources with McDonald's China, the first McDonald's automobile restaurant will open in Dongguan of south China's Guangdong Province in December. More of such outlets will open in all the four business zones in the future.

Analysts here say the reform is necessary for McDonald's to maintain its popularity on the Chinese market. As Chinese people become more careful about nutrition of food, McDonald's must prove its foods are pleasing both to their eyes and stomach.

McDonald's competitor KFC, which opened its 1,500th restaurant in China last month, has introduced a series of Chinese food into its menu and removed potato chips from set-meals.