Yum China Raises 2026 Net New Store Target to More Than 2,400

Yum China Holdings, Inc. (Yum China) lifted its 2026 net new store target to more than 2,400 after opening 692 locations in the third quarter, alongside higher profit and another quarter of same-store transaction growth.

Yum China raised the threshold for its net new store goal by 500, from more than 1,900 in July to more than 2,400. Yum China also raised its year-end total-store target to more than 20,500. It had 19,989 stores as of Sept. 30.

For the quarter ended Sept. 30, net income reached $311 million, up 10% from a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share were $0.91, an increase of 20%.

Revenue totaled $3.477 billion, increasing 8% year over year on a reported basis and 2% after excluding foreign-currency effects. Same-store sales were 97% of the prior-year level, while same-store transactions rose 3%. The transaction increase marked the 15th consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth.

Franchisees opened 44% of the 692 net new stores added during the quarter. Yum China aims for franchisees to account for 40% to 50% of net new KFC and Pizza Hut locations.

CEO Joey Wat said same-store sales faced difficult comparisons with the prior year’s delivery platform subsidies, along with adverse weather in August. The revised store targets apply to 2026.