McDonald’s, the world’s biggest fast-food chain operator, is looking for new franchise partners in China, expanding a six-year-old trial programme in its fastest growing market, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.
McDonald’s relies heavily on franchises in more mature markets such as United States, but has almost exclusively opened self-operated stores in China since entering the market two decades ago.
The company launched a pilot franchise programme in China, but has so far limited it to three franchisees running six restaurants.
It moved to expand up the process in April, posting information on its China website inviting new franchise applicants as it accelerates a plan to double its China network to more than 2,000 outlets by 2013.