SHANGHAI (Reuters) - U.S. fast food giant McDonald’s Corp (MCD.N) is getting a name change in China - at least on paper. The firm will change its registered business name to “Golden Arches (China) Co Ltd”, a spokeswoman confirmed to Reuters on Thursday, adding though that its brand name in China - a transliteration of McDonald’s - would be unchanged. The shift comes after the chain agreed earlier in the year to sell most of its China and Hong Kong business to CITIC Ltd (0267.HK) and Carlyle Group (CG.O). The business plans to nearly double the number of its outlets in mainland China to 4,500 by 2022. “It will still be clearly ‘McDonald’s’ when diners come to our stores,” the chain said on its official China microblog. “Our restaurant name will remain the same, the change is only at business license level,” spokeswoman Regina Hui added in emailed comments to Reuters. She declined to comment further on the reason for the change. McDonald’s in China and Hong Kong is 52 percent owned by CITIC, while Carlyle has a 28 percent stake. McDonald’s itself retains a 20 percent interest in the business. The structure is aimed at improving sales at existing stores and expanding outlets. Fast-food firms including McDonald’s and rival Yum China’s (YUMC.N) KFC are bouncing back from a series of food-supply scandals in China that had dented performance. McDonald’s reported robust sales on Tuesday, including better-than-expected growth in the United States and strong performances in Canada, Britain and China. Reporting by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Christopher Cushing
The Chinese unit of fast food giant McDonald 's is changing its name to pizza Arches . “ Our restaurant name will remain the same , the chain is only at business licence level , ” said McDonald 's Regina Hui , who did not reveal the reason for the name change . This foods reached an agreement earlier this year to sell a majority of its China and Hong Kong restaurants to Citic and Carlyle Group , as the owners planned to double outlets in China to 4,500 by 2022 . McDonald ’s now owns 20 % of the business .