Baskin-Robbins today announced plans to open its first store in Shanghai, with a total of 100 new stores planned over the next 10 years in the Eastern and Northwestern regions of Mainland China.

The company has signed an agreement with Shaanxi Stellerich Food and Restaurant Co., LTD to open the first Baskin-Robbins store in Shanghai before the end of this year, with another 50 across the city as well as the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shaanxi Provinces within the next five years, and a total of 100 stores across the regions by 2018. The partners signed the franchise contract at an event in Shanghai earlier today.

Shaanxi Stellerich, a Xian-based company, is well-established in China’s quick-service industry. The company also operates several other concepts, including KFC, in the Shaanxi and Jiangsu Provinces.

Srinivas Kumar, chief brand officer for Baskin-Robbins Worldwide, says, “Our wide variety of ice cream and ice cream-based treats, along with our fun and engaging atmosphere, has made Baskin-Robbins a much-loved destination in Asia and around the world. We are excited and proud to have such an experienced partner in Shaanxi Stellerich Food and Restaurant Co., LTD., to introduce the Baskin-Robbins brand to ice cream fans throughout Mainland China.”

“With the success of Baskin-Robbins in Beijing, we are confident that with our expertise and ambitious plans for investment and growth, the brand will become the leading ice-cream brand across Eastern and North-Western China,” says Lin Xin Bin, General Manager of Shaanxi Stellerich.
The partnership is a significant development for Baskin-Robbins, which already has 40 stores in Beijing.

“China is the next growth engine outside the United States for Baskin-Robbins,” says Kumar. “We look forward to building the brand’s dominant position in the Asia Pacific region.”