International Dairy Queen Inc., parent company to Dairy Queen, has inked a deal with CFB Group, through its wholly owned subsidiary Shanghai Shida Catering Management Co. Ltd. based in Shanghai, to open 180 food-centric Dairy Queen restaurants in China by 2034. They will be the first food-centric DQ restaurants in the country, according to a press release.

“Opening food-centric restaurants that offer balanced hot food and treat menus is critical to our international growth strategy,” Nicolas Boudet, chief operating officer, international, at International Dairy Queen, said in the press release. “CFB Group will be the first franchise group to open food-centric DQ restaurants in China and the only to own food-centric restaurants in Asia, widening its footprint in our fastest-growing market worldwide.”

“For more than 20 years, CFB Group and International Dairy Queen successfully have developed and launched unique treat products for the Chinese market, making the DQ brand one of the best performing quick service restaurant brands in China,” Alan Hsu, CEO at CFB Group, said in the press release. “CFB Group and International Dairy Queen now will focus on innovation and product development to deliver hot food menu items that Chinese consumers crave. Our goal is to position DQ restaurants as a balanced hot food and treat leader in China and grow our fan base to include customers seeking both meals and treats.”

CFB Group has more than 1,000 DQ restaurants in Mainland China. In March 2022, CFB Group committed to opening 600 treat-centric DQ restaurants by 2030, 180 of which now will be food-centric DQ restaurants opened by 2034.

The press release noted that China is the fasted growing market for the brand.

Dairy Queen operates 7,000 restaurants in more than 20 countries.