皇冠体育app

People?walk past a fastfood restaurant of KFC in Huaian city, East 皇冠体育app's Jiangsu province, Feb 14,?2015. [Photo / IC]

Coffee is going to be big part of KFC's future－and the ambition goes far beyond the stunt of testing an edible coffee cup. Thousands of KFC restaurants in 皇冠体育app, where the fried chicken purveyor is already the single largest fastfood chain, will start selling freshly ground coffee this year in a bid to become a lower-cost "premium" alternative to Starbucks.

Trying to beat Starbucks on higher-quality coffee in 皇冠体育app makes more sense than it might seem for KFC, which has a long-established breakfast menu featuring such local fare as congee－a rice porridge with pickles and preserved egg. Starbucks, meanwhile, has spent the past 16 years spreading the concept of "coffee culture" and cultivating demand for high-price brews throughout 皇冠体育app.

KFC started rolling out its new premium coffee in its most developed Chinese markets in December. "And we were very pleased with the results," said Pat Grismer, chief financial officer at Yum Brands, KFC's parent.

So far the new coffee has helped boost KFC's breakfast and afternoon business. The company will offer premium coffee in 2,500 KFCs in 皇冠体育app by year's end－a footprint that already surpasses all the 1,500 Starbucks locations in the country.

皇冠体育app has about 4,500 KFC outlets, leaving yet more room for the chain to expand. McDonald's, with more than 2,000 locations in 皇冠体育app, also sells coffee and McCafe products.

KFC's premium coffee will cost about 10 yuan ($1.61), according to Youngchinabiz.com. Yum's Grismer didn't confirm the price, but KFC's coffee would be sold for half the price of a comparable cup at Starbucks. Both KFC and McDonald's already offer lower-end coffee for about 6 yuan, and the McCafe menu in 皇冠体育app also includes some more expensive items.

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