It is the same pizza, only smaller and quicker.

Yum! Brands Inc yesterday introduced its third Pizza brand, the Pizza Hut Express, into China by opening the first store in Shanghai as part of its strategy to strengthen its lead over home delivery rival McDonald's Corp.

Located in the underground of Pacific Department Store in the Xujiahui commercial district, Pizza Hut Express has applied the fast-food business model to pre-prepared pizzas, snacks and beverages available for immediate take away.

''People are getting more and more busy and there will be growing demand for carry away services, especially for people who are in a rush,'' said Lobo Luo, vice president of Yum! Brands Inc China division.

Besides Shanghai, Pizza Hut Express also has outlets in Hangzhou and Shenzhen.

Luo said more Pizza Hut Express stores would soon be opened in big traffic areas such as airports, railway stations and shopping malls in China's first-tier cities.

Yum!, the world's largest fast food chain operator, is now also the biggest catering group in China where it controls twice as many restaurants as its biggest rival McDonald's Corp.

It has already opened 350 Pizza Hut restaurants, 50 Pizza Hut Deliveries in addition to over 2,000 KFC outlets in China.

Speed up

It has established a local brand in 2005 called Dong Fang Ji Bai, meaning East Dawning in Chinese, that combined the KFC business model and Chinese cuisine.

McDonald's said last month it would speed up store openings in China, with plans to open at least 125 restaurants this year and 150 in 2009.

It has also built up a fleet of 300 motorcycles to start home delivery.

''The opening of Pizza Hut Express completes the Yum! development strategy for Pizza,'' said Su Jingshi, president of Yum! Brands Inc China division.

''We are looking forward to developing a diversified business model to meet the market demand.

''China's catering industry has boasted fast expansion,'' Su said.

'Yum! gained 16.9 billion yuan (US$2.38 billion) in revenue for 2006 in China, the fastest developing and important market in its global picture.

(Shanghai Daily February 29, 2008)