Subway Restaurants announced the recent opening of its first franchisee training center in the People’s Republic of China.

Located in the city of Beijing, the opening of this center signifies an historic chapter in the development of the world’s largest submarine sandwich chain, according to the company—marking its third international training center and the first to be located on the Asian continent.

Citing language barriers and difficulties with travel logistics to and from the United States as primary reasons to establish the Beijing training center, Subway says it anticipates that by making training available in China, entry into the Subway system will be seen as more convenient—and, thus, greater growth in this region will be achieved.

According to Al Dembski, Subway’s director of training, “Asia has a large population, and by offering classes to franchisees in a language such as Mandarin Chinese, we will be able to attract a greater number of individuals from China, Taiwan, and other nations who might not otherwise have the opportunity to become involved with such an exciting venture as opening a Subway restaurant.”

“At first, the classes are expected to be attended by up to ten new franchisees per month. As expansion continues and enrollment increases, we will add to the staff accordingly,” says Dede Mahoney, director of field staff training for Subway. “Aside from the language and location, the differences between the classes in Beijing and those held in our training centers in Australia, Costa Rica, and the United States are minimal.” However, she adds, in China, more time will be spent on product identification, bread baking, and customer service as subjects that justify additional emphasis.