Italian coffee brand Lavazza held a media event at its flagship store in East China's Shanghai on Oct 12 to announce its expansion plan for China.

Lavazza Group chairman Giuseppe Lavazza, who was visiting China for the first time, said that the Chinese market has enormous potential and that Lavazza is committed to expanding its business by increasing the procurement of coffee beans from Southwest China's Yunnan province, establishing the first Lavazza Coffee Innovation and Research Center in the country and launching a barista training program.

Lavazza currently operates over 100 coffee shops in 11 cities across China. It is expected to open 1,000 more stores within three to five years in partnership with Chinese restaurant chain Yum China Holdings, Inc.

"China has become one of the world's largest coffee markets, and the rise of coffee culture and consumers' pursuit of high-quality coffee has brought unprecedented opportunities to the coffee industry," said Yung Wat, chief executive officer of Yum China.