• USA Today, Monday, February 27, 2012 10:50 AM

Yum Brands has 36,000 restaurants in 117 countries under brands such as KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. In this Q&A, the company's CEO, David Novak, says he views Yum as a global company, but says understanding regional tastes is critical. In Asia, for instance, people like spicier foods. "We have a Zinger sandwich, a spicy chicken fillet sandwich that is enormously popular. In India, sauces and flavors are really important, so we have a Masala line of pizzas."

Novak, who says he expects a 5% growth rate in the U.S., adds that in China, the company wants to have leading brands in key restaurant categories. "We've got a significant base of restaurants in India that we can grow. We lead in [the number of fast-food restaurants in] markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Africa. We already have 660 restaurants in South Africa. By the end of the year, we're going to be in 20 countries in Africa. We're thinking really big in terms of our expansion and how we take our business to the next level."

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