SINGAPORE, May 26 — Singapore’s food and beverage retailer BreadTalk plans to more than triple the number of its outlets in Asia in two years with China leading the business expansion.

The company intends to increase the combined number of outlets for its bakery chain “BreadTalk” and Chinese-style cafe “Toast Box” brands to 1,000 by 2012 from 314 now, through direct investment and franchising.

“Out of the 1,000, at least 550 will be in China,” BreadTalk’s chairman and founder George Quek told Reuters in an interview.

The company currently has 139 outlets in China.

BreadTalk, which operates food courts and restaurants, also intends to open 30 to 40 more food courts by 2012 Chinese cities like Chongqing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, adding to its existing 20.

China currently accounts for about a third of Breadtalk’s revenue, while Singapore slightly below half in 2009. — Reuters