Cheers!: Sichuan restaurant chain Tanyutou hopes to become a role model for other Mainland companies to expand to Hong Kong.

Tanyutou, a popular spicy hot pot restaurant chain based in Sichuan Province, has opened its first restaurant in Hong Kong - an investment of more than $15 million.

Chengdu Tanyutou Investment Co Ltd Chairman Tan Changan said the company - which has 96 restaurants in the Mainland and two in Taiwan - plans to expand its business overseas, to introduce quality Chinese cuisine to the rest of the world. "Hong Kong, as an international city, is a strategic base for Tanyutou to go international," he said.

Mr Tan said Tanyutou has chosen Hong Kong as the location for its overseas market operation headquarters to launch into Southeast Asia, Europe and the US.

"We hope that this new investment will pave the way for other brands from the Mainland to enter the Hong Kong market. We are very optimistic about the future development of Hong Kong. We envisage that Tanyutou will become a role model for other Mainland companies to expand to Hong Kong," added Mr Tan.

Acting Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong John Rutherford officiated at the opening of the Tanyutou Hot Pot Restaurant in Wanchai.

Mr Rutherford welcomed Tanyutou's investment into Hong Kong, as a further sign that the hospitality industry was returning to normal after the containment of the SARS epidemic. The restaurant employs more than 70 people here.

"Tanyutou's expansion to our city is yet another excellent example of Mainland companies using Hong Kong as a stepping stone into the international market," Mr Rutherford said.

"Our multicultural make-up provides a very sophisticated consumer base which has high expectations in terms of quality of food and services. We see an increasing demand for regional Chinese cuisine from both local residents and international tourists. The Sichuan-style spicy hot pot will add variety to the food and restaurant scene here. This clearly enhances our position as the region's gourmet paradise."

He wished Tanyutou every success with its expansion plans in Hong Kong and overseas.