The company recently announced a target to reach 600 KPRO stores by the end of this year, double the current number. KPRO stores sell healthy meals such as high-protein sandwiches and yogurt smoothies.
“The food is healthy, very reasonable calorie, but you’re still full. You’re not hungry. That’s important,” Yum China CEO Joey Wat told analysts during an earnings briefing on April 29.
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The logo of KPRO and KFC are seen on a building in China. Photo courtesy of Yum China |
KPRO meals display calorie information to help consumers make informed choices. Prices range from about CNY30 to CNY50 (US$4.41–7.36) per meal.
Wat said Yum China spent seven years studying the lighter-meal market before opening its first KPRO store in Guangzhou in late 2024.
By the end of 2025, just one year after launch and amid surging demand for healthier food among mainland consumers, the number of KPRO outlets nationwide had reached 200. All of them are located next to KFC stores.
“Young consumers’ penchant for food with balanced nutrition gives international brands a big opportunity, as the well-known brand can easily attract clients,” said Chen Xiao, CEO of Shanghai Yacheng Culture, a marketing and branding services provider, as quoted by South China Morning Post.
“Restaurant chain operators are the top beneficiaries of the new consumption trend because they are able to reach out to more consumers.”
The number of Chinese consumers eating healthy and light meals rose from 2 million in 2017 to more than 32.5 million by 2025, according to a recent report on China’s catering ingredients released jointly by research firm NCBD and Shanghai’s Expo Finefood.
The report said 40% of light-meal consumers ate such meals at least three times a week.
Chen estimated that mainland China’s light-meal market could generate about CNY100 billion in annual sales this year.
Wat also pointed to the profitability of the segment, saying 600 KPRO stores could help their parent KFC outlets increase annual sales by about CNY1 billion ($147.17 million).
Yum China, however, is not alone in the healthy food segment. Other chain operators specializing in light meals in China include Murvey LF, which runs about 600 stores across the mainland, and Moosang, which operates more than 400 outlets.
Yum China, which aims to operate 20,000 outlets by the end of this year, reported net profit of $309 million for the first quarter of 2026, up 6% year-on-year. First-quarter revenue rose 10% to $3.3 billion.
Source:e.vnexpress.net
