US fast food giant Yum! Brands, owner of KFC and Pizza Hut, says it has reached an agreement with Sinopec to open drive-through outlets at its gas stations and expressway service stations.

The first drive-through Kentucky Fried Chicken opened in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan province four years ago. You drive into a particular lane, order your meal and pay for it, and pick it up in a matter of minutes from the confort of your car.

A Chengdu resident said "I think drive through restaurants are convenient for office workers. One of their advantages is the ease, it doesn't take long to buy your food."

By October this year, Yum had opened 7 KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants at gas stations, and aims to increase them to 50 in the next five years under the deal. It is hoping to take advantage of China's booming car market, a rapidly expanding network of highways and expressways and rising consumer spending.

Zhu Zongyi, President of Yum! Brands China Division, said "We expect to expand our business in southwest China because that's where social economic development is moving and we will open more in Chengdu in the new year."

At present, just a few drive-through restaurants in Chengdu aren't enough to meet demand, so the agreement will lead to a win-win cooperation between the two multinationals.

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