Chongqing - V Burger, Pizza Hut China’s burger concept, has launched its first outlet in Chongqing, setting a national opening-day sales record and underscoring the city’s rising role as a hub for testing new dining and consumer trends.

The store began trial operations on May 25 at Central Park Wuyue Plaza in northern Chongqing and officially opened on May 30. First-day sales exceeded 100,000 yuan (about 14,772 U.S. dollars), breaking V Burger's national opening-day sales record.

The V Burger outlet at Central Park Wuyue Plaza in northern Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

The V Burger outlet at Central Park Wuyue Plaza, Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

V Burger is a new business under Pizza Hut. It has expanded to nearly 150 stores nationwide and is positioned around freshly baked bread, grilled beef patties, and a "quality meal for one" format. The Chongqing store is the brand's first in the municipality.

Freshly made burgers are served at V Burger in Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

The opening comes as Yum China, which operates Pizza Hut and KFC in China, continues to expand its store network and test new formats in a changing consumer market. According to its 2025 fourth-quarter and full-year financial results, Yum China's total revenue rose 4% year-on-year to 11.8 billion U.S. dollars, while operating profit increased 11% to 1.3 billion U.S. dollars. As of December 31, 2025, the company operated 18,101 stores.

A KCOFFEE outlet inside KFC at SKLP Shopping Center, Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

"We achieved strong results this year, especially in such a changing market environment," Yum China CEO Joey Wat said during the company's earnings call. "Our dual focus on system sales growth and same-store sales growth is working."

Pizza Hut remained one of Yum China's core brands. In 2025, Pizza Hut's system sales rose 4%, same-store sales increased 1%, and operating profit grew 19% to 183 million U.S. dollars. Its restaurant margin reached 12.8%, up 80 basis points from a year earlier. By the end of 2025, Pizza Hut had 4,168 stores in China, following a record 444 net new stores added during the year.

Promotional displays outside the V Burger store at Central Park Wuyue Plaza, Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

Wat said Pizza Hut has been selling burger products for more than a year and that the concept differs from KFC's burgers in both positioning and presentation. "The bread for this burger is made in-store, using the same dough as the pizza crust," she said. "We have this quality dough. It can be used for pizza, and it can also be used for burgers."

A Bridging News reporter visited V Burger’s Chongqing outlet on June 4 and observed a lunchtime rush of mostly young customers. Some praised the made-to-order burgers for their fresh aroma and satisfying texture, while the open-kitchen layout let diners watch patties being grilled and ingredients carefully assembled.

Young customers enjoy burgers at V Burger in Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

Restaurant innovation finds a home in Chongqing

The format reflects a wider shift in China's fast-food market. Consumers still want speed and value, but more are also paying attention to freshly prepared food, visible kitchens, and ingredient quality. The company has described V Burger as a "quality meal for one," a format that fits office meals, solo dining, and quick shopping-mall visits.

Chongqing provides a large consumer base for such experiments. The municipality has a population of more than 32 million, while its dense commercial districts, young consumer groups and strong dining culture make it a useful market for restaurant chains testing new formats beyond coastal cities.

Chongqing is also working to build itself into an international consumption center. In 2025, the city introduced 435 first stores of domestic and international brands and hosted more than 300 new product launch events. It also had 258 tax-refund stores for overseas travelers, while key commercial areas expanded foreign payment services. Chongqing's total retail sales of consumer goods reached 1.67 trillion yuan in 2025, ranking first among Chinese cities in terms of consumption scale.

For Yum China, new formats are part of a broader expansion plan. The company said it aims to exceed 20,000 stores in 2026 and surpass 30,000 by 2030. It also plans to add more than 1,900 net new stores in 2026.

Yum China executives said the company is not relying on a single dining model. Wat said the company is open to delivery, takeaway and dine-in channels. At Pizza Hut, the share of takeaway sales in 2025 nearly doubled compared with 2019, while dine-in remained important, accounting for about 45% of Pizza Hut's business.