Yum develops Chinese fast food chain

Yum Brands Inc., which owns KFC and Pizza Hut, developed East Dawning from scratch two years ago. Just as with its other restaurants, Yum is betting that the efficiency and atmosphere of American-style chain restaurants will appeal to Chinese diners with Chinese fast food, The Wall Street Journal reported. East Dawning operates just like a KFC except its menu and decor are Chinese. Its four restaurants -- all in Shanghai -- offer standardized versions of noodles, rice, soy milk and other favorites, including fried dough and plum juice. Yum wants East Dawning to be the biggest Chinese fast-food restaurant chain in China, said the paper. "KFC and McDonald's are so simple. You can hire high-school students to make the fried chicken and the hamburger," says Dennis Cheung, director of new projects and information technology for New Asia Snack, which runs a local chain called New Asia Dabao. "Chinese food is so complicated. It's very difficult to standardize because everything's controlled by the chef." Yum says its advantage comes from how it runs restaurants, including providing fast, friendly service and keeping the bathrooms clean. Executives also note they're relying on a team that consists mostly of Chinese natives to develop East Dawning, not management in Louisville.