Taiwan's 85°C Opens First Store In Beijing

Taiwan-based cafe and bakery 85°C has opened its first Beijing outlet in Chongwenmen New World Shopping Mall.

Located on the first floor of the shopping mall, the new 85°C shop provides coffee, cake, and bread.

According to Wang Jianyao, the deputy general manager of 85°C, prior to the opening of the Beijing store, the company has already opened 65 stores in Chinese mainland provinces and cities, including Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shenzhen, and has gained considerable profits in these marketplaces. Though its expansion in Beijing is just started, the company plans to open 20 stores in this city by 2010.

Wang revealed that the company currently has annual revenues of over CNY50 million and has about 4,600 employees. To support its rapid expansion, 85°C is now recruiting and training new workers. The company's goal for 2009 is to have 91 stores in mainland China by the end of the year. In the second half of 2010, it is expected to enter Chengdu in Sichuan to explore the market in China's western areas.